In the Presence of an Angel
by Marissa-Xtreme SelDem Fan
Summary: This is a story about a relationship between Haley and Brooke and how they overcome the obstacles they are faced with. What's not to love about Baley? I suck at summaries so please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Hey everybody! I'm back with another story! I first want to thank Ali, Othloverforever, and the other Baley authors for inspiring me to write this story. I have Chapter 2 almost done and it will be posted within a few days, by the weekend at most. I have a very busy schedule during the week, but I try to find time to write. Because of my hectic schedule, updates may not be as frequent as you like, but I will try to update as often as I can. I have a general sense of where I want to go with this story and some ideas for what is to happen so hopefully the words will come easy to me and I will be able to update a lot. I wanted to post this story when I had more chapters, but it's been a long time since I've posted a story, so I'm having review withdrawal. Please read and review! I hope you enjoy the story!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, I am just a poor soul who must live vicariously through my writings and those of others. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the wonderful writers at Warner Bros. Entertainment.

P.S. – I hope the writers get Lucas and Haley together SOON!

**Rating:** PG-13 for now, but will change to R in later chapters.

**In the Presence of An Angel – Tentative title**

**Chapter 1**

Haley's POV

I bolted upright in bed, the dream I'd just had plaguing my mind. This had been another of the many ones I'd experienced for weeks now and all about the same things. I was so confused by them; I'd asked myself over and over again why I was having these weird dreams and what they meant, but so far had come up without an answer. The dreams I'd been having were ones that most guys only dreamed about in their wildest fantasies. Yes, I was dreaming about a girl and not only just a girl, but Brooke Davis. She was the captain of the Ravens cheerleading team at Tree Hill High, and one of the most popular girls in school. Brooke had long brunette colored hair that shined and swayed with her body as she moved to whatever destination she was headed towards and she always looked so perfect, so put together. I often envied her for the air of confidence she always expressed, something I had never had.

She was the best friend of my best friend's girlfriend and also my best friend's ex-girlfriend. Hold on, let me explain this a little further so you can understand better. My best friend is Lucas Scott and I've known him since we were in diapers. Freaky, I know, that we haven't hooked up after all these years, but he is just a friend to me and nothing more. A lot of people say that friends of the opposite sex can never stay just friends, but with us its strictly a platonic relationship. Lucas' girlfriend is Peyton Sawyer, who is also my best friend, but also Brooke's best friend. Brooke and Peyton have known each other since they were eight years old when Peyton moved here because her father's boat was stationed in Tree Hill. I guess you could say that Brooke and I are friends, acquaintances in the least, because of Peyton and Luke, but I would like to hope that sometimes we're more than just that, acquaintances. Brooke and Lucas had dated for a few weeks about six months ago, but had decided that they just weren't right for each other and had a mutual breakup. Then Peyton came into the picture a few months later and she and Luke had been dating ever since.

I was brought out of my thoughts by a buzzing sound coming from that annoying thing called an alarm clock and I slammed my hand down onto it to silence the incessant noise. It was time to get up. As I showered, I tried to find the reason behind these disconcerting dreams but again came up with nothing as I had several times before. I dressed in a long sleeved pale pink v-neck shirt with a knee-length dark blue denim skirt and pair of pink flip-flops to complete my outfit. I curled my hair, giving it a slight wave and let two strands of my bangs in a spiraled curl frame my face then pulled some of my hair back into a flat barrette. As I added on my perfume and jewelry consisting of my necklace and watch, I wondered why I was getting myself so dressed up when I had nothing to be dressed up for. A nagging voice known as my conscience entered my mind as I applied a thin layer of blush to accentuate my cheekbones. _'Maybe you're dressing up for Brooke.' "_Where the hell did that come from," I asked myself. I shook my head to rid it of the thought. It was probably some leftover feeling from my dream, but what kind of feeling was this?

I looked at the clock again and realized that I was going to be late for school if I didn't hurry up. I grabbed my bag and an apple from the fruit bowl in the kitchen then headed out the door and began my walk to school.

As soon as I arrived at school, I went to my locker to get the books I would need for my first two classes. Suddenly, I felt the air shift and a chill ran down my spine. I turned to look down the hallway and I saw her. She was wearing a shiny gray, silver top and a pair of black capris with gray 3-inch stiletto heels to match her shirt. A bright red shade of lipstick graced her lips and a light shiny layer of gray eye shadow had been applied to her eye lids. Students moved to the side as she walked down the hallway like Moses parting the Red Sea with that ever-present confidence and a bright smile on her face. Other girls gazed at her with envious and star-struck looks that I often did and guys stared her body up and down then whistled and cat-called. In true Brooke Davis style, she ignored the girls and sent seductive smiles towards the guys. A few dumbstruck guys dropped their binders, sending papers flying, and some tripped over other peoples' feet. She just laughed rolled her eyes at this because it usually happened every day.

My breath caught in my throat when I saw that she was heading towards me. I quickly checked my clothing and hair then pretended to be pulling out one of my textbooks when she sidled up next to my locker. "Hey Haley," Brooke greeted. A warm feeling spread through me when she spoke to me, excited that she was actually talking to me. "Hey Brooke," I smiled warmly at her then turned to pull my English textbook out of my locker. "Have you seen Peyton," she asked, looking around the hallway for her blonde curly-haired friend. The warm feeling I had felt quickly diminished. I guess I was foolish to think that she would talk to me about anything other than Peyton or Lucas. I tried to mask the hurt in my expression and my voice as I responded, "Yeah, she is having breakfast with Luke this morning at McDonald's. You know how bad the food is in the cafeteria." "Yeah," she replied, "well I have to go get my books from my locker so I'll see you later, in English?" "Definitely," I answered with a forced smile.

Brooke's POV

I walked up to Haley by her locker and greeted her. She greeted me back then turned to grab a book out of her locker. I felt a flash of hurt pass through me when she did this. It seemed that she was always a little reluctant to be around me and hardly talked to me at all even when Peyton and Lucas were around, like it was some kind of chore that she didn't want to do, but had to. To make sure she didn't see the flash of pain cross my face, I looked down the hallway behind me then asked if she'd seen Peyton. She told me that Peyton had gone to eat with Luke and made some comment about the food in the cafeteria.

I had kind of lost track of what she was saying when I started to subtly glance over her outfit. '_She looks good,' _I thought to myself. But when did she not look good? She could make even the simplest combination of clothes like jeans and a t-shirt look perfect. Her hair looked good too; part of it was up in a barrette clip and two tendrils of her bangs hung down to frame her face. It was also curled into a slight wave, giving it a fuller appearance. Light pink gloss shined from her lips but her deep brown eyes, usually bright with happiness, had a cloudy, lackluster shine to them. Something was obviously wrong, but I didn't think she would open up to me since we weren't the closest of friends.

I was hurt again by this fact, that we weren't friends, but we were, sort of. Acquaintances, that was what we were. I wanted to be her friend, but every time I tried to talk to her, it seemed that she closed up and avoided me. What was so wrong with me that she didn't want to be friends, I often asked myself. I shifted my gaze back to her eyes again as if I would find some kind of answer to my questions and saw two brown eyes staring back at me. I quickly averted my gaze and cursed myself for her catching me looking at her. To avoid the discomfort setting in, I hastily said goodbye and left.

Haley's POV

I sat in English, desperately trying to pay attention, but my mind kept on wandering back to Brooke. She had said that she'd see me in English, but class had been long under way and still no sign of Brooke. I wondered what was wrong that she wouldn't come to class and didn't come up with anything. My mind brought me back to when our eyes had met and the feeling of fear that had washed over me because I had been caught looking at her, like it was some atrocious, forbidden thing to be looking at Brooke Davis.

However, that wasn't what concerned me most. The look in her eyes was what caused my confusion. What was that look and what did it mean? I had also noticed the hurt expression on her face and wondered if something was wrong. I wanted to be her friend, but was afraid to get close to her, that somehow something about my dreams would slip, that my admiration and idolization of her would shine through.

I was interrupted from my thought by my teacher, Mr. Baker, calling my name, "Ms. James?" "Y-Yes Mr. Baker," I inquired, a little disoriented from being in my own little world then harshly brought back into reality. "Would you answer the question please," he requested as he raised an eyebrow. My cheeks burned in embarrassment because I hadn't been paying attention. "Could you repeat the question please," I asked ashamedly, not looking at my teacher. I was one of his best students and here I was, not paying attention. Mr. Baker was about to reply when the bell rung to dismiss class for lunch. Kids stood and gathered their books as well as myself but the teacher called out, "Miss James, please stay after class for a few minutes. I would like to speak with you." A few of the remaining students made 'ooh'-ing sounds and some said, "You're in trouble," before exiting the room.

I made my way to my teacher's desk and waited for him to speak. "Miss James, I wanted to express my concern about your participation in class. I've noticed that the past few weeks, you don't speak out as much as you used to and today you weren't even listening to my lesson. You are one of my best students of all my English classes and it concerns me when students with such excellent grades like yourself start acting this way. Is there something that I could help you with? You know my door is always open to any student that needs help. Is it something going on at home?" I couldn't really explain what was really going on so I just went along with it, "Yeah, stuff at home. Sorry Mr. Baker, I didn't mean for it to become such a distraction for me. I'll try not to let it happen again." He placed his hand on my shoulder, which creeped me out a little, and smiled, "Remember that my door is always open if you need to talk. You can go to lunch now Miss James." I exchanged my books for my last two classes then went to sit with Luke and Peyton in the cafeteria.

Normal POV

Haley sat down beside Luke and began to eat her sandwich when Brooke walked up and sat down across from the three of them. "Hey guys," she greeted with a half-smile. "Hey Brooke," both Peyton and Lucas replied and Haley responded with a soft, "Hi." As soon as Brooke had appeared in front of them, she swallowed hard, a bite of her sandwich still in her mouth and suddenly wished she hadn't made PB&J for lunch today.

"Hales, why were you late to lunch? We waited for you, but you never came," Lucas inquired as he munched on a chip. "Mr. Baker wanted to talk to me after class about something and I kind of think he was trying to hit on me," Haley replied with a disgusted expression on her face. Lucas chuckled, "Well, I wouldn't blame him Hales, you look H-O-T-T, hot today. Tssss," He placed his index finger to her shoulder and made a sizzling sound.

Peyton punched him in the chest, "Hey, girlfriend right here." He kissed her cheek, "Sorry babe, I was just kidding. I don't think of her that way, she's just one of the guys." Haley slapped him in the back of the head, "Hey, I may play basketball with you down at the river court once in a while, but that doesn't make me 'one of the guys'. I'm still a girl you know." He rubbed the spot where she'd hit him and smirked, "Boy, do I know it. You're acting kind of mean, must be your time of the month." Haley stood up and slapped him in the head again then punched his chest and grabbed her lunch then walked off.

"Haley, wait! I was only kidding," he shouted to her, but she was already out of earshot. Both Brooke and Peyton glared at him. _'If looks could kill...'_ he thought. Brooke spoke up, "A word to the wiseass like yourself: never mention a woman's time of the month, especially in company, even if it is only friends." Peyton glared at him again before rising from her seat, "I'm going to go find Haley." "Me too," Brooke replied as she too got up. They both left Lucas sitting at the table to each his lunch alone.

Peyton and Brooke found Haley at one of the outside tables by herself, silently chewing on orange slices. "Hey, sorry about that idiot back there. Guys can be real jerks sometimes, some more than others," Peyton said quietly as both girls sat on either side of Haley. Haley let out a slight laugh, "Yeah, but Lucas isn't like that. He just has his moments sometimes." All three were silent for a few minutes until Haley asked, "Brooke, why weren't you in English today?" Peyton turned to her friend, "Brooke, you didn't go to first hour either. You know you can't go to cheerleading practice if you miss two of your classes."

"Oh well, I guess I won't go to practice then," Brooke replied nonchalantly. Peyton's eyes became wide that she apparently didn't care about the one thing she loved, "But Brooke, you're the captain! You have to be there to teach the girls." She answered, "So, you're co-captain and you know all the routines and moves. You can coach the girls today." "Alright, I guess I'll see you guys later. I'm gonna go find that boyfriend of mine and give him some more pieces of my mind," Peyton said as she gathered her trash and threw it away. "Okay, bye Peyt," Haley responded the same time as Brooke said, "Bye Peyt."

A few minutes after their friend left, Haley asked again, "Why weren't you in English, Brooke?" Brooke pushed her salad around with her fork and did not meet her eyes. "Um, just some stuff going on in my life, stuff at home. I couldn't handle being at school this morning." She hated lying to Haley, she really did, but no true friendship could be based on lies. _'Or do you want something else with her? Maybe something more than a friendship'_, her conscience asked her. Brooke shook her head slightly to try and rid her mind of that lingering thought.

"Oh, okay. Is there anything I can do to help," Haley asked. She had a sinking feeling that Brooke's disappearance had been because of what had happened at her locker that morning. "Um, I don't think so," the brunette replied as she pushed her salad around some more. Haley felt a pang in her chest when Brooke didn't want her help but placed a hand on her shoulder and responded, "Okay, but if you ever need anything, give me a call." "Thanks," Brooke said quietly and she hoped that Haley couldn't hear the shakiness in her voice. Her skin had begun to tingle at Haley's comforting touch and also hoped that Haley could not feel her skin heat up beneath her hand.

Haley began to finish her lunch and Brooke finally got the courage to look up again. Brooke noticed that some juice from the orange slices had dripped from her mouth to her chin and she subconsciously licked her lips. She picked up a napkin, "Haley, you have some juice on your face." "Where," she asked. "Here," she took the napkin she was holding and wiped her chin then the sides of her mouth. A little uncomfortable at the closeness of their bodies and Brooke's hands on her lips, Haley moved back a little bit, "Thanks."

"No problem," Brooke answered, feeling slightly saddened when Haley had pulled away. They finished their lunches in silence and after they threw the trash away, Haley reapplied her lip gloss. Brooke began to chuckle and Haley turned to her, "What's so funny?" "You," she responded, "you got some gloss right there." She pointed to a spot above her lip and laughed again. Haley rolled her eyes and sighed then smiled, "Great, that's what I get for forgetting my mirror at home." "You can use mine," Brooke said as she began to look through her purse, "shoot, mine's in my car. Come here, I'll clean it up."

Brooke took another napkin and tried to wipe the smudge off, but it only made it worse, "Ugh, let's take it all off and then I'll put it on for you." Brooke thought for a moment after she said that, _'Okay, that sounded really dirty.' _Haley blushed a bright red at Brooke's words as she imagined taking off something else other than lip gloss in front of Brooke. _'Get your mind out of the gutter, James,' _she instructed herself. Brooke wetted the napkin with her water bottle and cleaned off the gloss from Haley's lips then began to reapply it. "Pucker up," Brooke requested as she pursed her lips in example.

Haley did as told and almost had to hold her breath to try and avoid smelling the intoxicating strawberry scent of Brooke's hair. _'God, how do I get myself in these situations,' _Haley asked herself as she felt warmth spread through her body just as it had that morning. "Oops, hold still," Brooke said as she took her thumb and wiped her bottom lip. _'What is it with me and Haley's lips? This is like the fourth time I've touched them in one day. They look so soft... I want to see how they feel, if they really are soft... I want to kiss them...' _Brooke thought then abruptly pulled away. "I-I have to go. I need to get to class," Brooke said as she quickly stood and gathered her books then bolted away before Haley could answer.

Brooke's POV

I raced to the bathroom as soon as I left Haley and locked myself in one of the stalls. I was hyperventilating, not only from the mad dash, but also from the sudden realization caused by my thoughts. _'Oh my god, I like Haley! Oh my god!'_ I didn't know when, but somewhere along the line, I had started to see Haley in a different light. I saw her as someone who I not only wanted to be around, but to be with, as in more than friends or acquaintances. "Oh god..." I slowly slipped to the ground and hugged my knees to my chest. _'How could I like someone who doesn't even want to be friends with me, let alone feel the same as I do? What have I gotten myself into? A world of pain and heartbreak, that's what,' _I told myself as I began to cry. I would just have to idly sit and watch her pursue guys and possibly find love or watch her go through the agony of experiencing her first broken heart. I sat there for the next half hour and cried before I slowly rose to my feet and cleaned up my face, now black from mascara running down my face. I then exited the bathroom and made my way to the parking lot to my car. There was no way in hell I was going to class after this life-changing revelation.

Haley's POV

I still sat at the table, stunned and confused at Brooke's hasty departure and my own thoughts. Strangely, the second time Brooke had touched my lips to wipe away some of the gloss Brooke had applied, I had actually liked it a little. Her hands were so soft and delicate, her manicured nails painted with a clear, shiny polish. I remembered feeling Brooke's hand on my cheek and smiled then placed my hand on the spot Brooke had minutes before as if to feel her hand there again. Slowly, I let my hand drift back down to my lap to join my other. _'What is going on with me? What is this that I am feeling?'_ I knew Brooke had made up some excuse to get away from me because the bell hadn't even rung yet, but I didn't know why. What had I done to make her leave? I also knew that I would never be able to concentrate in class with everything going on in my mind so I made my way off school grounds and walked home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! Here the new chapter for In the Presence of an Angel! I know I promised I would update last weekend, but I got grounded, hardcore grounded, that weekend. I mean no computer, no tv, no music (which I usually need to sleep so I had a few sleepless nights), I had to clean my room, wash the stinky dogs (yuck!) and a few other things. Although during this time I did write some stories, both Laley, One In This World and To Have Loved. If you like Laley, then please read them! Anyways, I should have lots of time to work on chapter 3 this weekend so hopefully I'll get it out to you all on time as promised. As always, I love feedback so please read and review!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating:** PG – PG-13

P.S. - Nice long chapter for you all! I didn't realize how long it was until now!

**Chapter 2**

Haley's POV

The next day Brooke did not show up for school and I wondered if her absence had anything to do with what happened between us the day before. I had an inkling that it did and I now lay on my bed, pondering the events of yesterday, the dreams I'd been having for weeks now, and these new feelings inside that had surfaced. I went over everything in my mind, analyzing every part, every event or interaction, down to the smallest bit. I finally came to the realization that I liked Brooke, beyond the boundaries of friendship. This was shocking to me because I never thought I'd feel these feelings, for a girl. Of course, I'd sort of had a crush on her for a few years, but it was the kind of crush some star-stuck teenage girl would have on their favorite actress or singer. They'd want to be like them and fawn over them if they were in the presence of that person like so many of the other girls at school did over Brooke Davis. I guess my simple crush had grown and evolved into something bigger than I ever could imagine.

I was interrupted by a knock on my bedroom door and a hand holding a box of my favorite chocolates, the ones with the cherries in them, appearing from the edge of the door but disguising its beholder. "Truce," the voice called out. I recognized the arm, and the voice, immediately and responded, "I don't know. What else will I get if I say that I'm still mad at you?" I was only joking, but who's to say I couldn't play with him a little? "If you don't want these then I guess I'll have to give them to my new best friend, or I'll just eat them all by myself," he responded as he entered my room.

"Don't you dare! Give them to me," I responded happily, gesturing with my fingers for him to hand them to me, "and what's this about a new best friend? I'm hurt, Luke. Whatever happened to 'Best friends forever'?" He must have seen the smile on my face when he responded as he sat beside me on the bed, "Seriously, you're not still mad are you? I didn't mean to piss you off, I was trying to loosen you up a little. You've been so tense lately and yesterday you were acting weird... so I tried to make you laugh, but obviously it didn't work. I guess I shouldn't make a go of a career as a comedian, huh?"

"Nope definitely not," I agreed. He patted my thigh and asked, "We good?" "Yeah, we're good." Lucas replied, "You want to come get some dinner with me and Peyton?" I shook my head no and smiled, "As much as I like spending time with both of you, I don't want to spend all night watching you two make out so I'm going to stay home and spend my night with Mr. Waffles and my Chemistry textbook. I have a big test tomorrow."

Lucas smirked and let out a light snort of laughter, "Mr. Waffles, Hales? Haven't you had him since you were two years old?" I pointed my finger at him and smiled, "Don't think that I don't know you keep Bankie under your mattress, in your closet, or in your sock drawer... oh wait, no, that's where you keep the small fuzzy basketball your mom gave you when you were four. And, might I add, that you've had Bankie since you were like two months old. You also keep your fake ID in the bed railing between the frame and the box spring..." Lucas raised his hands in surrender, "Okay, okay! I hope you didn't tell Mom about the fake ID and for your information, I now keep Bankie in my nightstand. I sometimes sleep with him still; I can't help it if he still makes me feel safe when I'm scared."

I burst out laughing at this, holding my stomach because it hurt, "Oh my god, I bet Peyton would love to hear that her boyfriend still sleeps with his security blanket from when he was a baby! The look on her face will be priceless!" A fearful expression appeared on his face, "Hales, you wouldn't..." "Oh really? You think I wouldn't?" I got up from the bed and pretended to dial a number, blocking the phone from his view, "Hey Peyton, it's Haley. Sleepover next weekend at my house. I've got some very juicy details on your boyfriend that are particularly funny. Alright, see you next weekend. Bye." He looked at me incredulously as I hung up the phone, "I can't believe you did that."

"Well believe it baby! It's Tree Hill Spills night on Lucas Scott at my house Saturday. Hmm, maybe I should advertise," I laughed at his horrified expression. "Please don't embarrass me with all our childhood stories. I'll never be able to show my face around town again," he pleaded jokingly. "Oh, you know I love you and would never do that to you. Well, maybe just a little," I smiled back at him. "Yeah, love you too Hales. Well, I'll leave you to Brad Pitt and the hot, blonde Viking guys," he smiled back, "don't think I don't know about your secret fetish for them either." He quickly dodged a shoe I threw at him as he ran out my bedroom door. "I hate you," I yelled, laughing at our antics and witty banter. "I love you," he called out sweetly before he left.

I laid back on my bed as my mind returned to Brooke. How could I love someone who didn't love me back? _'Whoa, I only just realized that I liked her, but I'm using the word 'love'? Maybe my feelings go deeper than I thought...' _I was so terrified and confused and sad all at the same time. Scared, that when I was around Brooke I wouldn't be able to control myself and possibly let slip my true feelings for her. Confused, at these new feelings raging inside and Brooke's gazes that she had directed at me. Sad, because I hadn't seen her and I missed her, missed seeing her bright, smiling face every day. I curled up into a ball clutching my childhood stuffed bear, Mr. Waffles, and cried myself to sleep that night.

As it turns out, Brooke did not show up for school the next day either. I again felt a stab of sadness spread through me when I saw her empty seat in English and Algebra and then at lunch with Luke and Peyton. I was oblivious to everything going on around me as I was lost in my own thoughts.

Normal POV

Lucas waved a hand in front of Haley's blank, emotionless face as he tried to get her attention, "Haley? Hey Hales?" He snapped his fingers in front of her face and whistled. Haley finally came out of her trance and asked, "What?" Lucas asked, "We still on for movie night tonight? It's Friday, you know." Haley responded a little quietly, "No, I think I'm going to spend some quality time with myself tonight. Sorry to bail on you last minute." "Hales, you were home by yourself last night. Is there something wrong? Why are you avoiding me? Did I do something to upset you, are you still mad about the other day," he questioned concernedly, a little hurt that his best friend didn't want to spend some time with him.

"No, I just don't feel very well," she told him, but it wasn't exactly the truth either. She felt a little sick and was miserable. "Oh okay, do you want me to take you home? There's enough time for me to take you home and be back before afternoon classes start," Lucas offered. "Yeah, that would be great, thanks," Haley replied softly. Both Haley and Lucas stood then he bent down and kissed Peyton's cheek, "I'll see you later babe." "Bye Luke. I hope you feel better Haley," Peyton responded Haley replied with an automatic, "Thanks," as she clutched her books tightly to her chest and followed her best friend out to his truck.

Lucas pulled the truck up to Haley's driveway and put it into park. He stared worriedly at her as she sat there, still holding her books in a death grip and a somewhat pale complexion. He gently placed his hand on her shoulder, "Hales, we're here. You do look a little pale. Are you sure you don't have a fever?" He moved his hand to her forehead, but she pushed it away, "No, I don't have a fever." "Are you going to be alright home by yourself," Lucas asked concernedly. "I'll be fine Lucas. I'm not a baby, I can take care of myself." "I know. Call me if you need anything, okay? Get some rest and drink lots of liquids." "Yes Mom," Haley replied sarcastically. "That's Mr. Mom to you," he saluted and laughed as she did too. He hugged her gently before she got out of the truck and headed into her house.

Later that night, Haley was reading a book in the living room in her favorite armchair when she heard a knock on the door. Haley rolled her eyes; ever since he'd dropped her off at home, Lucas had been checking up on her periodically and this would be his third time. She got up and as she opened the door she said exasperatedly, "Go away! I told you I was-" She stopped when she saw that the person before her was not Lucas. The person was dressed in a thin white cotton hoodie and a pair of dark blue hip hugger jeans. She could see a hint of wavy brunette hair underneath the hood, but the person's face was lowered out of sight. "I'm sorry. I had nowhere else to go... I'll leave," they said in a shaky voice as they turned and began to walk down the steps. "Brooke? Wait, Brooke..." Haley grabbed her arm and felt the girl trembling like a leaf from the cold air enclosing them, "you're shivering and it's cold out here, come inside."

Brooke nodded slightly and followed her back into the house. "You must be freezing. I'll get you a pair of sweats to wear and a blanket. It must be forty degrees out there. Are you crazy, Brooke? Running around out there in just a thin hoodie and jeans?" "I must be, because I can barely feel my hands or my face anymore and I feel like my feet are about to fall off. I know, stupid idea, right? I just had to get out of the house..." Brooke replied as she curled up on the couch to try and warm her body. "I'll be right back. I'll get you those sweats and while you're changing I'll start the fireplace," Haley replied as she went to her room to grab the clothes for Brooke. "Here you go," Haley said as she offered them to her, "the bathroom is down the hall and to your right." "Thanks," Brooke replied softly, her teeth chattering a little, before rising from the couch and heading down the hallway.

A few minutes later, Brooke returned to the living room where Haley had started the fire and it now blazed from behind the iron guard. Haley appeared with two mugs and handed one to her, "Here, it's hot chocolate with marshmallows." Brooke accepted the mug from her, "Thank you." They sat in silence as they both sipped their drinks until Haley asked gently, "Want to tell me what's wrong?" Brooke had not raised her head once since coming to Haley's house, but now she finally did, slowly, but her eyes remained to her hands in her lap. Haley inhaled a sharp gasp and covered her mouth with her hand, "Oh my god..." There was a large bruise on Brooke's right cheek, starting just under her eye and extending almost down to her jaw. "Brooke, what happened? Who did this to you?" Tears welled in Brooke's eyes and her bottom lip trembled as she responded, "My mom.. she-she h-hit me..." Haley began to cry too and she hugged the other girl gently, "Oh Brooke, I'm so sorry..." Brooke wrapped her arms around Haley's body as she began to sob. They stayed like that for several minutes until Haley pulled away. "You need to put something cold on that bruise," Haley said softly and Brooke nodded then Haley continued, "I'll go get something to lower the swelling."

She returned a few moments later, a frozen steak in her hand and offered it to her. Brooke's eyes widened in horror, "If you seriously think I would put a raw piece of meat on my face, you're dead wrong!" Haley chuckled, happy that some of the old Brooke was returning, then held up a bag, "That's why I brought a bag of frozen peas." The other brunette's face scrunched up in disgust, "I don't like peas." Haley laughed louder at this, "They're for your face, not for you to eat, silly!" "Can't we use some ice," Brooke asked. Haley smirked and raised the last item in her hand, a damp washcloth with some ice in it, "Gee, why didn't I think of that?" Brooke laughed too as Haley sat down and gestured her to move closer. She swallowed hard, aware of the very close situation this move would put her in, but scooted over anyway.

Haley gently pushed aside some of Brooke's hair from her face and tenderly applied the cold compress to the large bruise. It was then she noticed a few tiny scratches on Brooke's face and some blood, still wet from the skin being slit open. "Brooke, you're bleeding," Haley exclaimed loudly in astonishment. "I am? It must have been from my mother's ring..." Tears started to fall again and Haley gave her a quick, tight hug before responding, "I'm going to go get the first aid kit so I can clean that up." "You don't need to do that," Brooke protested as she looked down at her hands again. "Brooke, you came to me for help. Now let me help you," Haley replied, taking Brooke's hands into her own. Both felt a spark travel through them when their hands touched, but neither knew that the other had felt it.

Haley went to get the first aid kit and applied the ice some more before tending to the small cuts. She dabbed some peroxide on them with a cotton ball and Brooke flinched at the small pain caused from it. "Sorry," Haley said. After placing two small band-aids on the cuts, Haley began to apply the ice again. "She must have hit you pretty hard... it's a big bruise..." Haley said softly as she looked at Brooke's cheek, which was blue, purple, and slightly swollen. "Yeah..." the other girl trailed off. "Why me, Brooke? Why did you come to me when you could've gone to Peyton or to one of the other girls on the cheerleading team? Why me," Haley asked suddenly. "Peyton's with her dad on his boat this weekend. I came to you because you're a very caring person and I knew you'd come through. Those girls on the cheerleading team, all they care about is themselves. They wouldn't help me, they'd laugh and think I deserved it. Everybody in school thinks I'm a total bitch. But I'm not really. Only the people I'm close to know the real me. I have a hard time trusting and opening up to people, partly because of my parents." "I don't think you're a total bitch. And what about me, Brooke, are we close," Haley asked. Brooke gulped, aware of the close proximity of their bodies and responded, "Yeah, you're my best friend besides Peyt." After this statement, both thought simultaneously, _'I wish we were more...' _

"Thanks, that means a lot to me. I don't really have a lot of girlfriends that I can talk to, it's always been me and Luke since forever. I'm really glad I got to know the both of you. You and Peyton are my best friends too, well my best girl friends," Haley said sincerely, smiling at Brooke. _'Girlfriend...that sounds nice,' _Brooke thought. "I'm glad I got to know you too," she returned the smile, but flinched a little at the pain from her cheek. Haley noticed this and peered at her bruise closely, her face within inches of Brooke's. Her breathing became quick as she inhaled the strawberry scent of Brooke's hair. She slowly ran her tongue over her lips in anticipation, daring herself to plant them on Brooke.

As Haley leaned closer to her face, Brooke felt the air hitch in her throat, forming a lump so tight she was afraid that she might not be able to breathe. When her nose caught a whiff of Haley's perfume, she was almost a goner. The musky, fruity fragrance tickled her nose and she subconsciously licked her lips as if to taste it on her. Brooke glanced at Haley from the corner of her eye and her gaze drifted from her concerned face to her hands in her lap then back up. With Haley leaning next to her, Brooke had a good view at the tops of her breasts. They were almost a pale white, but had a slightly creamy tan to them and she could imagine that they felt as silky smooth as they looked. She turned her head a little more towards her, and found two brown eyes staring back at her with their lips just a mere inch apart.

Both quickly turned their eyes to stare elsewhere but after a few moments, Brooke broke the silence, trying to lighten the thickness of the tension she felt. "So, what's the prognosis Doc, am I going to live?" She smiled and laughed lightly at her attempt at humor. Haley replied, smiling back, a forced one she knew, because she had wanted to kiss Brooke but also knew that there would be serious repercussions to the new friendship they had formed, "Yeah, I think you'll live. The swelling has gone down a bit so we should keep putting ice on it for a little while longer." Brooke nodded and then Haley asked, "Hey, you hungry? I could order a pizza or fix us something to eat." "Pizza's fine," Brooke replied, "we can get half and half. I like pepperoni, sausage, and cheese on mine." Haley grinned at this, "I like my pizza that way too." She then walked to the kitchen to find the number for the pizza place.

As soon as she entered the kitchen, Haley leaned against the counter with both arms braced rigidly on the top, starting to hyperventilate. She had been so close to kissing Brooke, but she knew that Brooke did not feel the same way about her and she didn't want to test the waters on a newly budding friendship. Sure, she could have kissed her and then tried to pass it off with some excuse, but Brooke would have been able to see right through her. _'I can't believe I chickened out,' _Haley thought to herself as she grabbed the phone and ordered the pizza.

Back in the living room, Brooke was breathing heavily and silently berating herself. _'Oh my god! I almost kissed Haley! I almost KISSED Haley!' _With their faces so close together, she had felt some sort of magnetic pull, guiding their lips to each other, but was reminded that Haley didn't feel the same way and was instantly hurt by this fact. A few tears slipped down her cheeks but quickly wiped them away when she heard footsteps nearing the living room.

"The pizza will be here in about thirty minutes," Haley replied as she sat back on the couch beside Brooke. "Can we watch a movie," Brooke asked softly. "Sure, what do you have in mind?" "I'm thinking something Disney. Do you have Bambi or Oliver & Company," Brooke responded. "Um, I think I have Oliver & Company, but I don't have Bambi." "What? How can you not have Bambi? That is one of the classic Disney movies! It was like one of the first movies I ever watched," Brooke exclaimed with a shocked expression on her face, "it was so sad when the hunter shot Bambi's mother... I was traumatized..." Haley laughed at her sad expression, "Brooke, how could you be traumatized? They didn't even show all that much about it. And it wasn't gory or anything like that, like bleeding all over the place or painful cries from the mother..." Haley was cut off by Brooke yelling in protest, "I was three years old! All I knew then was that there was a shot and the mama deer fell and didn't get back up again. I used to say 'Mama Deer went bye bye' because I didn't yet understand the concept of death. Not to mention, I just think you traumatized me even more, you must watch too many action movies with Lucas on your movie nights."

Haley laughed, "Yeah, but who can resist that Scott charm? I try to get in as many chick flicks as he can stand though." "It's kind of weird, you know? How come you and Lucas haven't hooked up," Brooke asked, genuinely wondering why a friendship so strong like theirs had never evolved into a romantic relationship. "Haley's face scrunched in disgust, "I've known Luke since we were toddlers. We used to play and do everything together; Karen even used to give us baths together back when we were little. Luke is like my big brother, I don't think of him in that way." "Oh okay, I was just wondering. Can you put the movie in now," Brooke replied. Haley nodded then fished the tape out of the video cabinet then popped it in the VCR.

The pizza arrived soon thereafter and they ate in silence as they watched the movie. After she had finished a slice, Brooke said solemnly, "Is it possible to both like and hate a movie? I hate how the movie starts out, but I like the end. This movie is sort of about me; nobody wants little Oliver but he finds friends in Dodger and the other city dogs. Then he finds Jenny and he's happy. Nobody wants me, not even my own parents. And all the guys think I'm just an easy lay. Is it too much to ask for someone to hold, to love me for who I am?" Tears had welled in both the girls' eyes and Haley replied softly, "No, it's not." As she said this, she thought, _'I want you. I want to hold and kiss you and never leave your arms.' _"I wish I could end up like Oliver. I want a fairytale happy ending. I want someone to love me unconditionally, without wanting to have sex with me every time the toddler in his pants wants to come out and play," Brooke said sadly. Haley shifted a little and let out an uneasy laugh. Brooke noticed this and apologized, "Sorry about that last remark, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." "It's okay," she replied softly. "Oh look, the movie's coming on," Brooke responded, a happier tone to her voice. She shivered a moment later and Haley asked, "Are you still cold?" Brooke nodded and Haley rose from the couch, retrieving a blanket from her bedroom then covering the both of them up. They began to watch the movie and out of the corner of her eye, Haley watched the emotions play over Brooke's face at parts of the movie then turned her full attention back to the movie before the other brunette could catch her staring. As Haley watched Brooke cry at the part where Oliver was left alone in the box with the rain pouring down, she thought, _'She looks so...broken... I want to help fix her... I want to make her better.' _The only problem was, would Brooke let her?

By the end of the movie, both had fallen asleep. In her slumber, Brooke had shifted and she now lay with her head on Haley's right breast and her legs tucked to the side, her right arm flung over Haley's lap. Haley stirred a little, waking up but quickly stopped at the sight of Brooke's sleeping form on her body. She didn't dare move another muscle, not wanting to wake her; Brooke really needed the sleep after what had happened to her that night. So Haley sat there, trying to be as still as possible and trying to calm her rapidly beating heart. She loved the closeness, but at the same time it was killing her. Killing her by not being able to hold her, to kiss her.

She yawned and subtly tried to slip from under Brooke's body, succeeding. Haley turned off the television and cleaned up quietly, throwing the trash away and placing the remaining slices of pizza in the fridge. She then returned to the living room and stared at Brooke for several moments, deciding what to do. She just couldn't leave her on the couch like that; she'd surely be aching from the awkward position she was lying in the next morning. So Haley carefully slipped her arms under Brooke's body and gently lifted her, carrying her to her bedroom and laying her on the bed. She covered Brooke up and went back into the living room as she thought about the events of that night and began to cry. How could someone hurt Brooke, let alone her own mother? She hadn't deserved it, any of it. Brooke deserved someone who could love her and take care of her, protect her. Haley wished she could be that person. She continued to cry for several minutes until she heard a sharp scream, "Haley! HALEY!"

Haley raced to her bedroom and found Brooke huddled at the head of her bed, crying and shaking like a leaf. "Brooke, what's wrong," she asked frantically, worry laced in her expression. "I had a bad dream... I dreamt about my mom... she was hitting me again..." Brooke explained through her sobs as she shut her eyes tight and gripped her knees closer to her chest. "Sh, sh... I'm here," Haley replied as she wrapped her arms around Brooke's trembling body. They held each other for a long time, Brooke crying as Haley stroked her hair and tried to calm her. After a few more minutes, Haley slowly got up and began to walk out of the bedroom. Brooke grabbed her arm in a firm grip, a terrified look on her face, "Haley, don't leave me!" Haley had never seen Brooke so vulnerable and emotional, so open, than at that moment. The pain and fear in Brooke's eyes broke her heart. How could anyone do this to her?

She returned to the side of the bed and stroked her hair, "Don't worry, I'll be right back. I'm just getting you a glass of water." Brooke shook her head vehemently in response, "I don't need water, I just need you. I need to feel safe. I don't want her to come after me again. Please hold me," she requested in a quiet, squeaky voice filled with unshed emotions. Haley nodded then crawled back into bed and wrapped her arms around Brooke, who snuggled up to her and curled her arms around Haley's torso, gripping her tight but not too hard to affect her breathing. Haley kissed her forehead and rubbed her back comfortingly, trying to soothe the distraught girl. _'I kissed her, I finally kissed her,' _Haley thought with some satisfaction. An hour later, Brooke had finally drifted off but sometimes stirred in her sleep, making little whimpering noises. At this, Haley remembered a song on one of her CDs and softly hummed as she sang the words in her head. "Trust the voice within," she murmured as she too fell asleep.

_Young girl don't cry  
I'll be right here when your world starts to fall  
Young girl it's alright  
Your tears will dry, you'll soon be free to fly  
  
When you're safe inside your room you tend to dream  
Of a place where nothing's harder than it seems  
No one ever wants or bothers to explain  
Of the heartache life can bring and what it means  
  
When there's no one else, look inside yourself  
Like your oldest friend just trust the voice within  
Then you'll find the strength that will guide your way  
If you will learn to begin to trust the voice within  
  
Young girl don't hide  
You'll never change if you just run away  
Young girl just hold tight  
Soon you're gonna see your brighter day  
  
Now in a world where innocence is quickly claimed  
It's so hard to stand your ground when you're so afraid  
No one reaches out a hand for you to hold  
When you're lost outside look inside to your soul  
  
When there's no one else, look inside yourself  
Like your oldest friend just trust the voice within  
Then you'll find the strength that will guide your way  
If you will learn to begin to trust the voice within  
  
Life is a journey  
It can take you anywhere you choose to go  
As long as you're learning  
You'll find all you'll ever need to know  
(Be strong)  
You'll break it  
(Hold on)  
You'll make it  
Just don't forsake it because  
No one can tell you what you can't do  
No one can stop you, you know that I'm talking to you  
  
When there's no one else, look inside yourself  
Like your oldest friend just trust the voice within  
Then you'll find the strength that will guide your way  
If you will learn to begin to trust the voice within  
  
Young girl don't cry I'll be right here when your world starts to fall_


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! I'm back again with another chapter! I did A LOT of writing this weekend so I wrote Chapter 3 and some of Chapter 4. There is some drama in this chapter and also an appearance from Nathan. Beware though, there is much more drama in Chapter 4 than there is in this one. Anyways, hopefully I'll have time to finish Chapter 4 by Wednesday, but I'm not making any guarantees. Well, with out further ado, here's Chapter 3 to In the Presence of an Angel. As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating:** PG to PG-13

**In the Presence of an Angel**

**Chapter 3**

The next morning, Brooke was first to wake and she smiled as soon as she opened her eyes. She was snuggled up next to Haley, still in her strong embrace with her own arms wrapped around the other girl's body. She breathed in the scent of Haley's perfume and closed her eyes once more, savoring the smell and putting it to memory. Brooke shifted a little, careful not to wake Haley, and repositioned her head in the crook of Haley's neck. A daring thought came to her half asleep brain and she pressed her lips to her neck in a feather-light kiss. Haley stirred, to Brooke's fright and horror, but remained asleep and Brooke breathed a sigh of relief. Brooke smiled again, this time wider, as she thought about what she had just done. _'I finally kissed her...' _she said to herself in satisfaction. At this, she fell back into a peaceful slumber.

Hours later, Brooke was awakened by a wonderful aroma drifting to her nose. She followed it to the kitchen where Haley was cooking something to eat. "Mmm, what smells so good," she asked as she walked over to where Haley was standing by the stove. "Morning, I'm cooking French toast, scrambled eggs, sausage, and bacon. I was just about to come and wake you; it's almost ready," she replied with a smile. "Yum, that sounds wonderful." "Hey Brooke, can I ask you something," Haley inquired as she pushed the eggs around in the pan. "Shoot," Brooke responded, wondering what she wanted to know. "Were you crying this morning? Because when I woke up, my neck felt a little wet and your head was right next to my neck..."

Brooke felt a blush creep up in her cheeks and she turned her head away from Haley so she could not see, "Yeah, it was either that or some drool. I-I do that sometimes." Haley began to wipe her neck as if to rid it of the wetness she had felt earlier that morning, "Ew... you got drool all over me? I need to take a shower now." Brooke laughed and turned back to face her as Haley turned off the stove and prepared their plates then set them down on the table, one in front of Brooke and one in front of her place at the table. "Thanks," Brooke replied as she began to eat and Haley responded, doing the same, "You're welcome."

After they had eaten for a few minutes, Haley asked, "How's your bruise? It looks a little better this morning after keeping the ice on it for so long. We should probably do that again today." Brooke nodded, "It doesn't hurt as much as it did yesterday and the swelling has gone down. You know, I never thanked you last night for taking me in. Thank you for being there for me, no one else would have come through for me like you did besides Peyton. I owe you big time." "Brooke, you don't owe me anything. I'm just glad that you're safe. I care about you, you're one of my best friends and I'm glad that you came to me," Haley responded as she placed her hand over Brooke's. Brooke smiled genuinely at this, happiness bursting within her. Haley considered her to be a friend after all. "I'm glad I came here too," she replied back.

Once both of them had finished breakfast, they retreated back to the bedroom where Haley gathered two sets of clothes for both her and Brooke to wear after their showers. Haley let Brooke go first and then she went herself. Not a minute after she had stepped out of the shower, Haley heard a male voice from downstairs, "Haley? Hey Hales, where are you?" She quickly wrapped herself in a large towel and exited the bathroom to her bedroom where Brooke paced frantically across the floor. "Shit! Haley, Lucas is here! He can't see me like this! I don't want him to see what my mother has done to me. Please make him go away!" Haley placed both hands in front of her, trying to get Brooke to lower her voice, "Sh, he'll hear you. Okay, I'll get rid of him, but I know he won't be happy about it. I'll go downstairs and talk to him. You lock the bedroom door after I leave in case he tries to come up here. I'll be back up in a few minutes."

She quickly exited the bedroom and instantly saw Lucas heading towards her. She swiftly shut the door behind her and responded, "Lucas, don't you ever think to knock? What are you doing here?" "Yeah, but I thought you might not answer the door because you were sick and I wanted to check up on you. Plus, I wanted to get a peek at your goodies," he smirked and arched his eyebrow suggestively at her towel. She punched him in the chest, "Lucas!" He covered the spot where she'd hit him with his hands, "Ow! You know, you're starting to hit me a lot. I never knew you could be so abusive," he laughed lightly. Haley's brown eyes darkened and tears welled in them, threatening to fall down her cheeks as she thought of Brooke. "Please go," she said quietly, crossing her arms then turning her back to him. "Hales, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. Is this why you've been acting weird? H-Has someone been hitting you? If someone is..." He growled angrily and clenched his fists at his sides. "No," she responded as she shook her head. "Then what is it? Why won't you talk to me? Dammit Hales, we're best friends! We're supposed to tell each other everything! Something is bothering you and I can see it in your eyes, but you keep avoiding me!" "I-I'm sorry, but I can't tell you," she responded as the tears began to fall. "Well, when you figure out what you want and when you're ready to tell me what's going on with you, come find me," he said in a harsh tone before leaving the house.

Haley ran back up to her room and knocked on the door, to which Brooke unlocked it and let her in. As soon as she entered, Brooke opened her arms to a crying Haley, who immediately latched onto her. "I'm sorry I caused you two to fight..." Brooke said softly as her own tears welled in her eyes and she stroked Haley's hair. Haley pulled away a tiny bit and replied, shaking her head vehemently, "Brooke, you did not cause us to fight." "But it was about me," she responded and Haley shook her head again, "No, you weren't even mentioned in our fight, it had nothing to do with you." "Yes it did, he thought someone was hitting you, Haley." "It's not your fault, Brooke," Haley replied as she hugged her again.

Outside, Lucas looked up to Haley's window and saw the silhouette of two figures, one taller and one shorter as they hugged tightly to one another. His brows furrowed tightly in anger and confusion at this sight. What was she hiding from him?

Haley and Brooke spent the whole day together watching movies, playing cards and board games, and talking, getting to know each other better. It was late afternoon, early evening and Brooke was taking a nap, still emotionally and physically drained from the day before. Haley laid back on the couch, letting the events of that morning, more specifically her fight with Lucas, flood back to the front of her mind. She had kept her promise to Brooke that Lucas wouldn't find out what had happened to her, but as a result, Lucas had gotten mad and stormed off, putting their friendship in jeopardy. She wanted to tell him, but she couldn't for the sake of Brooke. How was she going to get her friend back without telling him what had happened?

A few tears fell down her cheeks, but she quickly wiped them away when she heard a knock at the front door. Couldn't the world just leave her and Brooke alone in peace? She stood and answered the door, finding none other than Nathan Scott standing behind it. "Nathan, what are you doing here," she asked, a slightly mad tone to her voice. He looked at her for a moment, surprised at the coldness in her voice, then responded, "I have a big test in Chemistry on Tuesday and I was wondering if we could have a tutoring session today including the one on Monday. I really need to do well on this test." She saw the pleading look in his eyes and she desperately wanted to help him, but she couldn't leave Brooke and she would be furious if she came out and Nathan saw her with the big bruise. Then it might ruin what the two had built up in their friendship.

"I'm sorry Nathan, but I can't tutor you today. I'm really busy. I can tutor you tomorrow for about two hours, but then you'll have to wait until Monday." He smiled, "Thanks Haley, I really appreciate it. What time should I come over tomorrow?" "About seven in the morning and we'll go to nine. We have to do it early because I have plans for the rest of the day." His eyes bulged slightly, "Seven a.m.?" Haley laughed lightly and replied, "As they say, 'the early bird gets the worm'." He smiled wider, "Does that mean you're going to cook me breakfast too?" "I guess, if I must," she replied back, rolling her eyes. "Great, then I'll be here at seven," he responded as he turned to leave. "Don't be late," she yelled out to him

A few minutes after she had closed the door, Brooke came out of her bedroom, lightly rubbing her eyes to rid them of sleep. "Who were you talking to? I heard yelling," Brooke asked as she yawned and stretched, "That was Nathan at the door. He wanted to have a tutoring session today, but I told him I was busy. So I told him that he could come over early tomorrow morning for about two hours." "Oh okay," Brooke replied a little sadly, lowering her head, her hair falling to cover the hurt expression on her face and she felt her eyes burn with unshed tears, "Haley, can I stay here again tonight? I-I'm not ready to go home yet, but I'll leave tomorrow. I'm sorry I just barged in and interrupted your life like this..." Haley cut her off and said firmly, placing her hands on the girl's shoulders, "Brooke, you did not interrupt or barge in on my life. And of course you can stay here, you're welcome to for as long as you like." "Thanks Haley," Brooke replied as she hugged her briefly then curled up on the couch. "Are you hungry? What would you like to eat for dinner," Haley asked, moving to stand in front of her. "I'm not really all that hungry right now," she responded.

"Okay, what do you want to do," Haley inquired. Brooke thought for a moment and looked around the room, searching for something to do. She spotted the book Haley had been reading the night before. She said to Haley, "Why don't we read a book?" Haley raised her eyebrows in surprise at this, "Read a book? Okay, who are you and what have you done with Brooke Davis? Because the Brooke Davis I know does not like to read books." Brooke shrugged and smiled, "I read books, but it's in the privacy of my own home. Can't damage my reputation with information that I'm a brain too and ruin the image of the cheerleader stereotype." "Well, well, well, the many faces of Brooke Davis. I just keep on learning more and more about you every time we talk," Haley smiled as she went to grab the book, "I'm going to read this one. We can go up in my room and you can pick out a book to read."

Brooke shook her head and yawned, "I'm still kind of tired. Will you read to me?" "Sure," Haley replied as she sat on the couch beside Brooke. "What book is it and who's the author?" "The book is called Stranger in Paradise by Eileen Goudge. She's one of my most favorite authors. I've also read some of her other ones and the sequel to this one is Taste of Honey. That book is next on my list after I finish this one. Have you read some of her books," Haley asked. "Yeah, I've read a couple of them. I've read Such Devoted Sisters, Trail of Secrets, Garden of Lies, and Thorns of Truth. Trail of Secrets I liked the best though." "Me too. I love horses and the characters. It was so sad when the baby who grew up to be Skylar was kidnapped." "Yeah, I cried at that part," Brooke responded. "Yeah, same here. Okay, is it alright if I read where I left off," Haley inquired as she opened her book to the place she had marked with a piece of paper. "Fine by me," Brooke replied as she yawned once again and laid her head on Haley's shoulder. Haley began to read and the soft voice she spoke in soon lulled Brooke to sleep. After Haley had felt no movement from Brooke for several minutes, she put the book down on her lap and leaned her head back on the couch. She reveled in Brooke's body on hers, her warm breath tickling her neck. Soon after, she too fell asleep.

Two hours later, Brooke woke up and carefully got up off of Haley without waking her then scooped her up and carried her to the bedroom, laying her tenderly on the bed. She then lay down beside her and fell back to sleep.

The next morning both Haley and Brooke woke to the sound of someone knocking on her door and both quickly scrambled out of bed and changed clothes. Haley opened her window and called down to Nathan, "Hey, I'll be down in a few minutes. I need to finish getting dressed." He nodded and then Haley closed her window and turned to Brooke, "Will you be okay up here for two hours? Do you need anything before I let him in? After I fix breakfast, I'll bring some up to you so you can eat. You can go back to sleep if you want." "I'll be fine, just get this tutoring thing over with. I don't feel very comfortable with Nathan in the house. What if he wants to follow you in to the room," Brooke asked nervously. "He won't, I'll make him stay in the kitchen." "Okay," Brooke responded, sitting on the bed. "It's only two hours and I'll come check up on you if you need anything okay," Haley said. Brooke nodded and then Haley left the bedroom, closing the door behind her and proceeded to let Nathan in the house.

"Hey Nathan. Sorry, I slept through my alarm and got up late," she said as she guided him through the living room to the kitchen. "No problem, so what's for breakfast," he responded as he set his books on the table. "Well, I don't really know. There's not much in the fridge. Why don't you take a look and if you see something you like, go ahead. But if you touch those chocolate cherries, you'll have a stub for a hand," she responded as she gave him a menacing glare. Nathan got a frightened look on his face then opened the fridge to search for something to eat. "Cold pizza and pickles, ALRIGHT!" he shouted happily, then asked, "You got any Vanilla Coke?" Haley scrunched up her face in disgust, "Ew, you have such nasty eating habits. All that for breakfast? That's so disgusting. You know, if you were a woman, people might think you were pregnant with those bizarre cravings for cold pizza and pickles at seven in the morning."

Nathan laughed as he turned sideways and put his hand on his hip near his back in a girlish style and replied, "Honey, do I look fat in this?" Haley burst out laughing at this and said through gasps of air, "Yeah, you do. You look HUGE!" Nathan pretended to cry and wiped away fake tears as he responded in an emotional voice and turned away, "You jerk." Haley only began to laugh harder. Nathan began to laugh too, happy that he could make Haley laugh. She had been so hard to get through to ever since he met her, but it was partly because she was a friend to his brother, a person who he had never known. Nathan and Haley had gotten to know each other through their tutoring sessions and became friends. With Haley now being friends with both brothers, she had slowly pushed them together, and they were now on better terms, but you couldn't exactly call them friends yet.

After they had calmed down, Haley began to prepare breakfast for herself and Brooke, taking out pans, the milk, eggs, ham, cheese, tortillas, and butter. "What are you making," Nathan asked as he ate a pickle. "I'm making breakfast burritos," she replied as she placed some mix of eggs, water, ham, and cheese on the hot skillet.""Wow, that sounds great." Once the egg mix had cooked she placed them in two tortillas then put them back on the skillet to give them a light crispy texture. After they were done, she placed one on each plate and set hers on the table. Nathan looked up at her and asked, "Is that one for me?" She replied, smiling, "No, I'll be right back."

She then walked to her room and lightly knocked on the door before entering. Brooke was lying on the bed, reading a book. "Hey, I brought you breakfast. It's a ham and cheese burrito." "Thanks, it smells wonderful. I was just reading the book you were reading to me last night and it's really good," Brooke replied as she took the plate from her. Haley smiled, "You're welcome. I like the book so far too. Well, I have to get back out there or Nathan will become suspicious and I already think he is." "Why," Brooke asked. "Because as far as he knows, there's nobody else in this house and he saw me leave the kitchen with the burrito." "What are you going to say if he asks about it," she inquired as she began to eat. "I'll just tell him that I'm taking care of a friend," Haley responded, smiling at her. _'Friend...' _she reveled at the thought, _'yeah, friends...' _Brooke smiled too as she thought, _'I can't believe we're finally friends...' _"Okay," Brooke replied. "I'll be back up in a little bit," Haley responded as she began to leave the room. "See you later," Brooke waved lightly then chuckled.

Haley returned to the kitchen and Nathan looked at her empty hands then responded, "What'd you do with that other burrito?" "A friend came over last night needing my help so I let them stay here," she replied, sitting at the table and beginning to eat her burrito. "Oh, okay," he said back, smiling. He thought Haley was such a good person for helping someone out, even to people she hardly knew, like she had him when he'd asked her to tutor him. After finishing breakfast, Haley loaded the dishwasher then they began to study.

About an hour later, a loud thump echoed through the house and Haley's head quickly shot up from her book in fright and worry. Nathan had heard it too and he looked at her, his expression mirroring hers, "What was that?" Haley stood and began to exit the kitchen and when Nathan started to follow, she stopped him, "No Nathan, stay in the kitchen. I'll be back in a few minutes." Haley entered the bedroom and Brooke gave her an apologetic look, "Sorry, I was hoping that it wasn't loud enough for you guys to hear it when it fell." Brooke pointed to a thick book lying on the floor next to her bookshelf and picked it up, "God, this book is heavy." Haley laughed a little, "Well Ulysses should be. Did you know that it took the author twelve years to write that book?" Brooke's eyes widened in shock as she responded, "You've got to be kidding me." "Nope," Haley replied. "Wow." "Since everything is okay in here, I better get back to tutoring Nathan. He was ready to come up here with me to find out what the noise was. I'm surprised he hasn't asked who the friend is that's staying here yet," Haley said as she walked to the door. "He hasn't," Brooke inquired. "No, but I think he's wondering who it is but not asking. He probably thought I would have told him if I wanted him to know." "Okay, I'll see you in about an hour." Haley nodded then exited the room, returning to the kitchen.

"Is your friend okay," Nathan asked concernedly. "Yeah, they dropped like a ten pound book on the floor. Everything's good," Haley responded as she took her place at the table. "Okay, I thought I would wait for you to tell me, but I want to know. Who is the friend that's staying here Haley?" "A friend, and that's all you need to know," Haley responded, becoming slightly irritated. Nathan put his hands up in surrender, "Okay, I'm sorry." Haley waved her hand to dismiss it and said, "Don't worry about it, let's just get back to work, we only have about an hour left." After that, they both settled down to work.

Before they knew it, the hour had passed and their tutoring session was over. "Thanks Haley, I really appreciate it for you helping me out today. So, I'll see you tomorrow for another cram session before my test on Tuesday," he asked as they walked to the front door. "Yep, tomorrow," she replied as she held open the door.

Once Nathan left, Haley bounced happily back to her room and as soon as she entered, she exclaimed happily, "Okay, I'm all yours now." Brooke smiled widely at this and her eyes brightened in excitement as she thought, _'I wish that were true, I wish you were mine.' _Her face dropped slightly but not enough for Haley to notice. Brooke replied in a happy tone, "Yay, finally! It felt like forever waiting up here all by myself.." "So what do you want to do," Haley asked as she sat on the bed beside Brooke. "Let's watch a movie," Brooke suggested. "Which one?" "I don't know, you pick," Brooke replied. Haley picked out the movie then placed it into the VCR and laid back against the headboard next to Brooke.

Haley had her legs stretched out with her feet crossed like Brooke and a pillow propped both of them up against the headboard of the bed. Brooke gulped hard, very aware of the closeness of their bodies. Their legs barely touched one another and sometimes rubbed against each other when either of them moved. When Haley curled one leg to her chest to scratch her ankle then slid it back down onto the bed, it brushed against Brooke's, causing a jolt of friction through her body and the hairs on her arms and legs to stand up. Brooke swallowed again. _'I don't think I can take much more of this...' _she thought.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** Hey everyone! I first want to thank all of you for your reviews, I love and appreciate all of them so much! Well, I finished Chapter 4! I don't really think it's all that great, at least not up to my usual par, but I really wanted to get this chapter out to you. Remember, there's big drama in this chapter, so beware! Anyways, here's chapter 4! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are the property of the WB.

**Rating:** PG to PG-13

**In the Presence of an Angel**

**Chapter 4**

Monday came around the next day and Haley went to school while Brooke stayed behind at the house because the bruise had not cleared up yet. The bruise was healing, but the discoloration could not be covered up, no matter how much makeup was applied so Brooke had opted to stay home.

Because of the rift in her friendship with Lucas, Haley sat alone at one of the outside table during lunch that day. In the History class they shared, Lucas sat in the back of the class instead of sitting beside Haley as he usually did. She could see that he was still angry over what had happened at her house the other day by the pulsing of his temple and the periodic clenching of his jaw. She ate silently as she read her book until she heard yelling and looked up to find a crowd forming in the quad. She decided to investigate so she threw her trash away and grabbed her stuff then walked over the ever-growing throng of students, cheering and urging the fighters on. When Haley saw who the two fighters were, she immediately pushed through the students to the open ring that had been formed by the onlookers. In the middle, throwing punches and grabbing for each other, were Lucas and Nathan.

"Lucas, Nathan, STOP," she yelled. The two brothers continued to grapple and she desperately looked for someone to help. She spotted Jake and Tim, who had just appeared in the crowd, and called out to them, "Jake, Tim! Help, please!" Both of the boys grabbed the other two, Tim taking Nathan and Jake taking Lucas, as they struggled to break free. "Let me go," Lucas shouted. "What's your problem man," Nathan asked as he wiped his mouth of blood. "You! You're my problem," Lucas responded angrily, pure hatred burning in his eyes. "Lucas, what's this about," Haley commanded as she walked up to him. "I know," he said coldly, staring into her eyes. She was scared at the glare he was giving her and the voice he spoke in. She replied in a confused tone, "Know what, Lucas?"

"Don't lie right to my face Haley. I know you've been sleeping with HIM," He said in a low, menacing growl and his eyes as cold as ice. "What? I am not sleeping with Nathan. How could you even think that! We're just friends and that's it," Haley screamed at him. He replied in the same cold tone, "Oh really? Then how come I saw you and him hugging from outside your window after I left and you coming out of your bedroom in only a towel when I came over? If you aren't sleeping with Nathan, then how come I saw him leave your house at nine in the morning yesterday, huh?" "I was having a tutoring session with him! It was so early in the morning because I had plans for the rest of the day!" "Plans for what? To sleep with him? Because none of those so-called plans involved me." "Believe it or not Lucas, but my life does not revolve wholly around you. I do have other friends, you know," Haley retorted back fiercely.

"That still doesn't explain all of what I saw,"he returned loudly, glaring at Nathan then turning back to her, "How could you sleep with him, huh? After all those times I warned you about him? He's just using you to get to me!" After he said this he immediately turned to face Nathan and issued another punch. This started up the fight again and Haley, in fear of both of them getting hurt despite her furious state at Lucas, began to pull harshly on his sweatshirt, "Lucas, STOP!" However, he did not listen and pulled back his arm to deliver another punch to Nathan when his fist made contact with Haley's jaw. He quickly spun around to face her, remorse and tears filling his eyes, "Hales, I'm so-" But he did not have the chance to finish his sentence. Haley placed a hand to her jaw as she stood there, stunned, for a few seconds before she turned and ran from the scene, tears streaming down her cheeks.

As soon as she pulled into the driveway, Haley rushed out of the car into her house, passing Brooke without noticing her and then continuing on to her room. She flopped down onto her bed and grabbed her pillow, sobbing into it as her tears flowed down in torrents. Brooke entered quietly and sat beside her on the bed, beginning to rub her back in smooth, comforting circles. "Haley, what's wrong? What happened," she asked softly as she stroked her hair. "Lucas... he jumped to conclusions and... and he thought I was sleeping with Nathan..." Haley managed to get out through her sobs, "they were fighting... and then Lucas and I were yelling... and he hit Nathan... then he went to hit him again... and he hit me..." Brooke gathered Haley in her arms and hugged her tightly as she too began to cry, "I'm so sorry..."

Once Haley had calmed down a little bit and her cries were reduced to hiccups and small sniffles here and there, Brooke asked, "How did he think that you were sleeping with Nathan?" "Remember on Saturday when I went downstairs to greet Luke and I was wearing only a towel," Haley inquired. _'How could I forget...I wanted to rip that towel right off and kiss you all over, to feel your body beneath my hands... If only it had been a few inches shorter...' _Brooke thought as a slight blush tinted her cheeks. Brooke then nodded for Haley to continue. "Well, there was that, and when he left, he saw us hugging in my window behind my curtains and he thought I was hugging Nathan. Then he said he saw Nathan leave the house early yesterday morning... well you get my drift."

Brooke nodded then took her hand, "Come on, let's get some ice on your jaw. Even if it doesn't bruise, it'll still hurt like hell in the morning." Haley chuckled lightly, "We switched roles." Brooke looked confusedly at her, "What?" "We switched roles. First I was taking care of you, now you're taking care of me," Haley explained. Brooke smiled, "We did, huh?" "You know, I'm in the mood for some ice cream and a comedy." Brooke then asked, "What movie?" "You pick, it's your turn," Haley responded as she moved out of Brooke's arms and lay on her side of the bed. "Okay, let's watch this one," Brooke said and Haley replied, "Nice choice, put it in." "I will, but let me go get the ice for your bruise and the ice cream first. What kind do you want?" "Rocky Road," Haley told her.

Brooke grinned widely at this, "My favorite!" "You better not hog it all," Haley warned her with a mock glare. "I guess I'll have to eat it all by myself then and you won't get any," Brooke replied childishly as she stuck out her tongue. "And whose ice cream is this?" "It's mine now," Brooke responded as she laughed. Haley scoffed and picked up a pillow then launched it at her, successfully hitting Brooke's head. This only caused Haley to laugh harder and Brooke to stare at her in open-mouthed shock. Brooke promptly grabbed the pillow off the floor and hit Haley. A full on pillow fight then ensued for the next fifteen minutes until both collapsed onto the bed, breathing heavily from laughing and chasing each other around.

"That was fun. I haven't laughed like that in ages," Brooke said as she turned her head to look at Haley. "Me too," Haley replied. "So what do you want to do now," Brooke asked as she turned on her side and propped her head up with her elbow. "I'm kind of tired. I think I'll take a nap," Haley yawned and stretched. Brooke yawned too, "Don't yawn, you're making me tired." "You can lie down and take a nap with me if you want," Haley suggested. Brooke scooted up further up so her legs weren't dangling off the bed and closed her eyes. "I think I'll take you up on that offer," she said in a sleepy voice as she yawned again.

Haley scooted up too and turned her back to Brooke, shifting deeper into the bed and pulling the covers over herself. With Brooke behind her, she could feel her warm breath on her neck It made her skin tingle with anticipation, waiting for Brooke's touch. Haley fought back a moan of disappointment when that touch never came. _'I don't think I can take much more of this...' _she thought as Brooke shifted, putting her closer to Haley's body. As Brooke lay behind Haley, the smell of her hair and the perfume she was wearing driving her senses wild, almost beyond coherency. She slowly breathed in her scent, savoring it, and smiled then closed her eyes. She longed to touch her but knew it would only complicate things, or even worse, ruin their friendship. Soon she fell asleep and began to dream of Haley. Subconsciously in her slumber, Brooke wrapped her arms around Haley's waist. Even though Haley had begun to drift off herself, she felt this movement and smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! Sorry it's taken me so long to update, I know you all are probably just DYING of Baley withdrawal! It's been a crazy week to say the least, but I found the time to make and EXTRA LONG update for you guys to make up for it! I think you guys will really like this chapter, there's a lot of Baley interaction and some drama! I know you guys are waiting for them to kiss and declare their love for each other, but I think I'm going to wait a few more chapters, maybe one or two, because I still have some ideas for stuff going on between them before they actually get together. This is my longest chapter so far and I hope you all like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, One Tree Hill and its characters belong to the nice, wonderful, talented people at the WB.

**Rating: **PG to PG-13

**In the Presence of an Angel **

**Chapter 5**

Later the next day, Haley was doing her homework for Chemistry and Brooke was catching up on work she'd missed so far in school at the table in the kitchen. There came a knock and Haley rose to answer the door and, without thinking, swung it open. Before her stood Lucas with a sorrowful expression and a bouquet of her favorite flowers. "What are YOU doing here," she asked crossly as she placed a hand on her hip. Lucas saw the bruise that he had caused and raised his hand to gently touch her cheek but she quickly pulled away. Lucas hung his head in shame as he held out the flowers to her, "I'm sorry."

Haley's face reddened a little in anger, "Sorry is not going to cut it this time, Lucas, and neither will flowers or a box of chocolates. You really hurt me Lucas, and not just physically. Nathan is my friend and ONLY my friend. We're nothing more than that and never will be. Until you understand that, maybe we should take a break from each other." Lucas' eyes widened in shock at her words, "Hales..." "Goodbye Lucas," Haley said tersely, but both of them could hear the unsteadiness in her voice. She knew that she didn't want to do this, but it was for the best. He had to understand that nothing will ever happen between her and Nathan, that she liked someone else, but she couldn't tell him who that person was. As she began to close the door on him, he said, "I'm really sorry Hales."

After Haley had closed the door, she went to her bedroom and collapsed on the bed, tears flowing down her cheeks. Brooke, who had been listening in on the conversation, followed and gently sat down beside her, stroking her hair comfortingly. "Why did you tell him to stay away from you," Brooke asked softly. "Because Nathan and I will never be anything more than friends. They were getting along so well, at least, as well as could be expected at the moment. I mean, they aren't friends yet, but they were being civil to each other in the least. Now with the fight... I'm afraid it'll ruin what bonds they've built. I don't know how he could think that a relationship between Nathan and I would ever work out, we're both so different."

Brooke nodded and thought with sadness, _'We're both different too... even if she did feel the same way, maybe we wouldn't work out...' _Haley blurted without really thinking, "Besides, I like someone else." Brooke's eyebrows arched in questioning, "Who?" "It's just someone," Haley replied secretively, folding her arms across her chest. "Who is it, Haley," Brooke pressed on even though she felt her heart breaking inside. Haley liked someone else and that person wasn't her. Haley shook her head in defiance, not saying a word. "It's Lucas isn't it," Brooke said softly. She had noticed how close the two were and how they did things that a lot of boyfriends and girlfriends did together. Haley got a disgusted look on her face, "What? No. That's sick! Lucas... he's like my big brother. I could never like him like that." "You know, best friends make the best lovers," Brooke waggled her finely plucked eyebrows in suggestion. Haley, however, took it two different ways, "Eww... that's gross! I could never sleep with Lucas!" Haley thought, _'Brooke and I are best friends...' _"You sleep over at his house or he at yours on your movie nights," Brooke pointed out. "Yeah, but that's different. I mean, I could never, you know, have sex with him." "Oh," Brooke responded.

They were both interrupted by another knock at the door. "It better not be Lucas," Haley growled as she went to answer the door yet again. She found Nathan with a black eye and a cut lip behind the door. He saw her bruise and said, "Are you okay?" "Not as bad as you," she replied, "I'm sorry he hit you. He had no right; he jumped to conclusions and sometimes he tends to react impulsively instead of finding out more information before making a rational decision." "Yeah I can see that," he smiled then chuckled, "I see it every time I look in the mirror since yesterday." She grinned at his joke, "Me too." "Well, one of the reasons, besides checking up on you, was that I came to tell you that I got a B on my Chemistry test. I really appreciate you helping me out. Thanks, Hales. You're the best," he pulled her into a hug. "That's great Nathan, I'm happy for you." "Sorry Haley, but I have to go. Dad has me doing some weights and running. Can't disobey Daddy Dearest," Nathan said the last sentence sarcastically as he pulled away. "Bye Nate," Haley called out as he began to walk down her driveway. He waved in response before getting into his car and driving off.

When Haley reentered the kitchen, Brooke said, "That sounded like it went much better than your last conversation with a Scott." "Yeah well, Nathan is the only Scott on my good list right now, besides Keith and Deb. The other two are jackasses." "Serves them right," Brooke replied with a nod.

"I feel like going swimming," Haley stated. "Swimming? Haley, are you crazy? It's October, the water will be freezing," Brooke exclaimed in response. "The pool is heated," Haley replied with a smile. "Cool," she said back as she followed Haley to her room. As Haley fished around for her suit, Brooke remembered that she didn't have one to wear. "Uh Haley? I don't have a suit to wear. I guess I'll just have to skinny dip. Is that okay with you?" Brooke felt a shiver run down her spine at her own words. Just the thought of her being naked in front of Haley caused her body to heat up. Haley laughed uncomfortably and turned her head to hide the blush creeping up in her cheeks then gave her a 'You've got to be kidding me, right?' look then shook her head, "Nonsense. You can borrow one of mine." "Okay, thanks," Brooke replied.

Haley went to change and reappeared a few minutes later in a light pink bikini with blue and purple Hawaiian flowers on it. Brooke took in her pale, but slightly tanned, skin, her toned abs, stomach, and slender figure. "Wow Haley, you look good. You know, you have a great body. You should show a little more skin than what you usually wear to school. Besides, it'll surely drive this boy that you're being so secretive about wild. I know! We'll go shopping! Once this awful reminder of my mother goes away, I'll take you to the mall and we can get some new outfits for you. How does that sound?" "Uh sure, that'd be great," Haley replied a little nervously. Haley didn't like showing off her body that much; she didn't think she was very attractive. But apparently Brooke thought so. And hadn't she subconsciously grabbed her bikini instead of her one-piece suit? _'What is going on with me,' _Haley thought. She then picked out a bikini for Brooke, a red one, Brooke's favorite color of course. The brunette went to change then they both grabbed towels and headed out to the pool.

Brooke dipped her toes just barely below the surface of the water and quickly recoiled back, hopping around trying to warm her foot. "Haley, I told you it's freezing!" Haley laughed at her antics, "You were hopping around like Tigger in Winnie the Pooh. Ooh! That's what I'll call you now! Tigger!" Brooke laughed and smiled, "That means I get to call you Hales." "Of course," Haley replied as she bent down to turn on the heaters for the pool. While she did this, Brooke discreetly eyed her from behind. Haley felt eyes on her and turned to see Brooke with a devilish grin on her face, "Why are you looking at me like that?" Brooke's smile grew even wider as she raced over to her, grabbed her, and launched them both into the pool.

Once they came to the surface, both sputtered out water and wiped the hair from their faces. "Brooke! Why'd you do that? This water is FREEZING," Haley exclaimed loudly and proceeded to get out of the pool. "It seemed like the perfect opportunity. You weren't watching," Brooke laughed. As Haley began to climb the ladder, Brooke noticed something in the water. "Uhhh, Haley?" "Yeah," she asked and turned to face her. A deep blush rose to Brooke's cheeks as she turned her head away and picked up the thing that had floated by, "Um...you, um...forgot this..." Haley's eyes widened in shock as she slowly brought her gaze down to look at her body then immediately covered her chest. Her cheeks burned in embarrassment as she quickly grabbed the top part of her bikini and raced inside the house.

Brooke came in a few minutes later, letting Haley get herself together before she put herself in the other girl's presence. Brooke entered the bedroom and sat on the bed, wrapping the towel tighter around herself to warm up. Several moments passed until Haley finally exited the bathroom, wearing a blue shirt and a pair of sweatpants as she dried her hair with a towel. Her cheeks were still a fierce red and had a wide-eyed expression on her face, stunned by what had happened just minutes ago.

"Hey," Brooke said softly. It was then she noticed that Haley wasn't wearing a bra. She knew this by Haley's hard nipples protruding through the thin material of her shirt. Brooke swallowed hard and fought the urge to kiss her. _'Why does she have to be so damn sexy? She looks so hot with her wet hair...her perfect breasts... even her frown makes her look sexy...' _Brooke came out of her reverie when she saw that Haley's mouth was moving to form words. "Hi," Haley replied quietly as she sat on the bed with her back to Brooke.

Brooke moved over to her and Haley flinched a little. "Haley, it's okay. There is nothing to be embarrassed about. Besides, it's nothing that I haven't seen before." Haley looked at her with an arched eyebrow and a confused expression. This pressed Brooke to continue on. "First of all, these," Brooke pointed to her own breasts then returned them to her sides, "and second, I'm used to it. Peyton and I change clothes in the same room all the time, same goes for when all the cheerleaders change in the locker room." "But that's just it, Brooke! You're used it, I'm not! I don't see other girls' breasts on a regular basis. I don't even put much thought to my own! I have never been in a situation like this!" Haley was almost hysterical now as she stood and began to pace back and forth while making frantic movements with her hands.

Brooke, despite herself and the seriousness of the situation, started to laugh. "You mean you've never been in a situation where like Luke barges into your room without knocking, like he does your house, while you're getting dressed or something and finds you half naked," Brooke asked incredulously. "No and can we please not go there? I don't want to talk about him," Haley responded in a cold tone. "Sorry," Brooke responded quietly. Haley sighed as she sat back down and stared at her hands in her lap, "It's not your fault."

Brooke, who was still in her bikini, shivered from the water on her skin and her wet hair. Haley noticed this and rose from the bed, "I'll get you some clothes." A few seconds after Brooke entered the bathroom, she came out, grabbing the shirt off the bed, "Forgot my shirt." As she finished getting dressed, Brooke remembered something Haley had said about a week ago when they were discussing their classes for next semester. She exited the bathroom and said to Haley, "You know, you're going to have to get used to naked bodies, or partially naked bodies, because remember, you have gym next semester. All the girls change in front of each other and take showers together. You'll never survive gym if you don't get used to it, or at least feel comfortable seeing it." Haley zoned out for a few seconds as she thought, _'I'd like to take a shower with you...' _She returned to reality as Brooke continued to talk, "And I was thinking maybe I could help you with that." Haley's eyebrows furrowed tightly in confusion, "How?"

Haley's eyes widened in shock and her mouth dropped open when she saw that Brooke began to take off her shirt then turned away from her. Brooke chuckled lightly at this, "Relax Haley, it's just my shirt. I haven't even taken my bra off yet." Haley folded her arms across her chest and started to walk out of the room, but Brooke's hand stopped her. "It's okay to look Haley. Other girls do it all the time." "But I'm not like other girls, Brooke! I don't look at other girls' boobs or hook up with a guy every other night! I have never been with a guy before. Usually I am sensible and secure and know what I'm doing in just about everything, but when it comes to sex or nakedness, I'm anything but. I don't know about all that stuff. That's why I'm so uncomfortable. I'm not like you and the other cheerleaders; I don't flaunt my breasts and I'm not flirty. I don't have sex with guys every night like those cheerleaders on the team! And-and when you do this...I-I... Why are you doing this to me?" Tears had welled in Haley's eyes as she ran from the room leaving a topless Brooke hurt and confused more than ever.

Tears formed in her own eyes and she stood there for a few seconds, shocked by Haley's outburst, and then slowly slipped her bra back on then sat on the bed and buried her head in her hands. Some of Haley's words had really hit home to her; especially the hooking up with guys and Haley not being like her; it was just another stab to an already open wound. She laid down on the bed and clutched Haley's pillow, inhaling her scent before crying herself to sleep.

When Haley had raced out of her bedroom, she fled to the back porch where she sat on the bench swing and pulled her knees close to her body and cried. She too had realized that they were both so different and even if they never became more than friends, their differences might still come between them. She grabbed the blanket from the wooden chest and laid back then covered herself, cushioning her head with her arm as she drifted into slumber.

The next morning, Brooke stepped outside to get some fresh air and wake up. A few tears ran down her cheeks as she thought about what had happened last night. Haley had run out of the house and not come home; maybe she had gone to Peyton's house. She thought about calling her, but then Peyton would probably ask where she's been and so many other questions that she didn't want to answer right now. She just wanted to find Haley; she was beginning to worry about her. What if something happened to her?

Brooke breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Haley lying on the bench swing huddled up, probably from the coolness of the air. She sat on the porch floor next to the bench by Haley's head and just stared at her. She looked so beautiful with her hair falling down over her face, her soft pink lips, the little ring she always wore on her pinky finger, and her long eyelashes touching her skin. What broke her heart though, was the frown on her face and her tearstained cheeks and knowing that she was the person that had caused them.

She raised her hand slowly and softly caressed her cheek with the back of her hand, causing Haley to stir awake. Brooke quickly recoiled her hand back to avoid her feelings being found out and placed it back in her lap. Haley blinked and rubbed her eyes a few times before she was able to focus and then she laid her eyes on Brooke, who was sitting on the porch about a foot from her. "Hey," Haley said softly, her voice raspy from sleep, and then noticed her tears then asked, "why are you crying?" More tears began to cascade down Brooke's cheeks as she responded in a shaky tone, "I'm really sorry about last night..." "Me too," Haley replied quietly. Brooke continued on, "I thought you left last night and when you didn't come back... I thought something had happened to you..." "I'm sorry," Haley sat up and scooted off the bench to sit in front of Brooke and hugged her. Brooke hugged her back tightly, "I'm sorry too." Haley laughed a little, "You already said that." "I know, but I'm still really sorry," Brooke replied. "It's okay," Haley patted her back in reassurance.

"What do you want for breakfast? I'll cook," Brooke asked. Haley looked at her incredulously, "You can cook?" Brooke smiled back and chuckled, "How do you think I survived all these years with my parents gone?" "A maid," Haley suggested. "Nah, they only have one to clean the house. Since they're never there, they don't see the need for a cook anyway." "Okay, how about blueberry pancakes?" "Yum, that's sounds great. Good idea," Brooke responded. Haley got up and held out her hand to Brooke, "Come on Tigger, I'll show you the way around my kitchen." Brooke smiled at Haley's use of her new nickname; it told her that everything about the fight the night before had been forgiven. "Okay Hales, let's get this show on the road! I'm starving!" Haley laughed as both girls entered the kitchen.

Haley looked at the clock and turned to Brooke, "You better make those mini-pancakes-to-go. I've gotta get ready for school." "You're going to school today," Brooke asked, a twinge of sadness surfacing within her. She thought that maybe they could spend more time together, especially after last night. "Yep, I have to keep my grades up or I won't be able to tutor anymore," Haley responded, then said in a colder tone, "besides, it's not like nobody knows what happened at school the other day." "Yeah," Brooke trailed off as she scooped some batter into the pan. "Oh, I just remembered, I have to work today as well. I think my shift is from three to eight, then I'll come home. I hate leaving you by yourself all the time." "It's alright. I'm used it," Brooke replied sadly. "Me too," Haley responded in the same tone.

"Pancakes are ready," Brooke said as she placed four mini pancakes on each plate. They both began to eat and Haley nodded in approval, "Mmm, these are so good. You're a great cook." "Thanks," Brooke replied. They finished breakfast and Haley went to get changed for school then put her books in her backpack and grabbed her keys. She walked back into the kitchen where Brooke was washing last night's and that morning's dishes and drank the last of her orange juice. "Since I'm working tonight, I'll bring dinner home. How about BLT's," she inquired. "Sounds great," Brooke responded. "Great. I'll see you later tonight then. Bye Tigger." "Bye Hales," Brooke waved as Haley exited through the door.

At school, the halls were bustling with news of the fight and Haley caught some people staring at her, most with sympathizing looks because they knew how close Lucas and Haley were. All day Haley avoided Lucas like the plague, sitting as far away from him as possible but still remaining close enough to the front of the class to pay attention to the teacher. At lunch, she sat alone at one of the outside tables reading one of her books. She wanted to sit with Nathan, but he was probably sitting with his jock friends and Peyton was probably sitting with Lucas.

"Got room for another tortured body," a voice asked from above her. Haley looked up and found Nathan staring down at her and smiled, "Sure, pull up a seat." "So, how are you," he inquired. "Better than the other day. How about you? How did your dad react to the fight?" He shrugged, "Oh you know Dan, he asked me how Lucas fared and I said that he looked worse off than me then he made me run a few miles and do some weights." Haley scoffed, "He looked worse off than you? Nathan, he barely had a scratch on him!" "Hey," he protested, "I got in a few good punches. What a way to ruin a man's pride Hales." "Oh you're no man, Nathan, you're just a little boy who can't cut it fighting with the big boys," Haley said as she began laughing hard. "Oh, you are so going to get it Hales," Nathan replied as he began to tickle her. "Nathan... stop..." Haley giggled as she squirmed, trying to get away from his grasp.

A voice from behind them shouted, becoming louder as the person approached quickly, "Get your hands off her!" Both stopped and stared at him then rose to their feet. "I told you to stay away from me Lucas! We're just friends," Haley yelled at him. "You keep telling yourself that Haley," he responded as he stormed off. They sat down again and Haley buried her head in her hands and began to cry. "You okay," Nathan asked quietly. "I hate fighting with him... but he makes me so mad... sometimes I just want to kick him where the sun don't shine." "I could do that for you," Nathan offered happily. She smiled up at him and patted his arm, "As much as I would like you to do that, it would only make things worse between you two."

Their conversation was interrupted by Peyton running up to their table with wide eyes, "Oh my god, Haley are you okay? I heard what happened..." "And you're only hearing about it now? Where have you been the past two days," Haley asked confusedly. "I've been on my dad's boat. I stayed an extra day on Monday and I didn't get home until yesterday and I was exhausted so I stayed home." Peyton took Haley's chin between her thumb and forefinger and examined the bruise, "I can't believe he did this to you..." "Hey, what about me? I'm the one who took most of the heat here," Nathan piped in. "Aww, is Mr. Egotistical Cocky Jock going all baby on us? You need to start working out more; you're losing your touch. Lucas barely had any marks on him," Peyton responded in a sarcastic tone. "See, what'd I tell you," Haley retorted to Nathan with a wide smile on her face. Nathan shook his head and smiled as he stood, "Why I stay friends with you two, I don't know." "Oh, you know you love us," Peyton said back sweetly. "Yeah, whatever," Nathan waved his hand at them in dismissal and walked off.

The bell rang and the two girls rose from their seats, grabbing their books and throwing their trash away. As they walked to their classes, Peyton asked, "Hey Haley? Have you seen Brooke lately? I haven't seen her since last week and she's not answering her phone. Maybe she's pulling one of her disappearing acts again." Haley stiffened at her words, wishing she hadn't asked that. She was a terrible liar and people could usually catch her in a lie. But hadn't she been lying to a lot of people lately? She had lied to Lucas, Nathan, Peyton, and even Brooke. "Um, no I haven't, come to think of it. What do you mean by disappearing act," she responded, trying to hide the nervousness in her voice. "Every once in a while, Brooke will disappear for a couple days to a week, and no one can find her or contact her. She doesn't come to school, she never seems to be home, and she doesn't answer her cell phone. She sort of falls off the face of the earth." "Oh," Haley replied as she thought, _'Maybe those other times she disappeared were times when her mother hit her.' _Tears welled in her eyes at the thought of someone hurting Brooke and she fought to keep them from falling. "I'll see you later Peyton. I've gotta get to class," Haley said as she began to walk faster, "Oh, and I'm sure Brooke will turn up soon. She can't stay away from cheerleading too long." Haley smiled and Peyton returned it with one of her own, "Yeah. See ya, Hales."

Later that day, Haley went to Karen's café to start her shift. She went behind the counter and tied her apron on around her waist, consisting of her order pan and a pen as well as pockets for tips. As she did this, Karen walked out of the kitchen, nearly dropping the plates she carried at the sight of her. "Haley, what happened? Who did this to you?" "You mean you don't know," Haley asked confusedly. She thought Lucas would've told Karen about the fight, but maybe he didn't want his mom yelling at him for fighting with Nathan again. "No, what?"

Haley got a slightly mad look on her face and explained in a low tone, "Well, it so happens that a certain son of yours did this to me. It was an accident of course, but how it happened wasn't. I got this unsightly blemish because your son, He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named, was fighting with his brother again. He and I were screaming at each other and he went to punch Nathan again and I pulled him back and he got ready give him another one when his hand swung back and hit me." "Oh my... What was Lucas fighting with Nathan about this time?" Haley shifted uncomfortably and crossed her arms, looking down at the floor, "He thought that I was sleeping with Nathan."

"Wow," Karen gasped then took in Haley's demeanor and asked quietly, "Haley, I hate to ask you this, but you-you aren't, are you? I mean I'm just worried about you. I don't want to happen to you what happened to me. You're like a daughter to me, you know that." "I do, and no, I haven't been with Nathan. We're friends and that's it. I'm still a virgin and when the time comes that I'm ready, just know that I'll be safe," Haley replied honestly. "Good," Karen responded as she hugged the girl, "now why don't you take these plates over to table 3 and refill the coffee on tables 2 and 4. Oh, and just to let you know, Lucas will be punished for this. He shouldn't be fighting with his brother and he definitely shouldn't be hitting his best friend, no matter how much of an accident it was." Haley smiled slightly then did as Karen told.

As Haley entered the house that night, she sighed, tired from the day, and shrugged off her coat then called out in a sweet voice, laughing, "Honey, I'm home!" _'Home... It feels nice coming home to Brooke.' _Haley heard her laughing and responded, "Brooke, where are you?" "In the living room," the girl replied. She walked into the living room and saw her lying on the couch, an arm under her head. Her tussled hair gave her a sleepy, sexy look with her half-closed eyes and lazy smile. "Hey, I'm sorry, did I wake you?" Brooke yawned and stretched, sitting up, "No, I was just reading." Haley held up the bag from Karen's Café, "I come bearing great gifts. Wondrous food for your stomach, dessert to satisfy your cravings, and drinks to quench your thirst." Brooke snorted and began to laugh at her words and the tone of voice she spoke them in.

"What did you get," she asked after she had finally calmed down a bit. "BLT's with fries, ice cream fudge sundaes, and diet coke," Haley replied as she sat down on the couch beside her. Brooke helped her lay out all the contents then went to get plates and eating utensils from the kitchen. As they ate, there was silence except for the two of them chewing their food. It was a companionable silence though, not really awkward. "It's raining," Brooke stated as she looked out the back door. "Good thing I got home before the storm hit. I wouldn't want to be caught in that rain," Haley replied as she took a bite of her sandwich.

"So, how was work today? Was it really busy," Brooke inquired, trying to break the quiet but genuinely interested. "Well, it seems that Old What's-His-Face didn't tell Karen about the little altercation with Nathan the other day, so she kind of freaked when she saw the bruise. Even though he's still my friend I hope the little rat gets what he deserves. Karen said she's going to punish him for fighting with Nathan and for hitting me, even if it was an accident. Other than that, the café was pretty busy." Brooke was about to respond when suddenly all the lights went out.

"Oh shit," Brooke said as she jumped a little in fright. "Come on, there's some candles in my bedroom," Haley replied as she stood in the darkness. "I can't see anything," Brooke complained as she too stood up. "Follow my voice and stick out your hands so you don't bump into anything and trip or knock something over." "Okay," Brooke said as she began to move towards her voice. Haley followed Brooke's voice and a few seconds later, she heard her shout, "OW!" "You okay," Haley asked. "Yeah, just bumped into the coffee table." They continued to move towards each other with their arms stuck out like zombies in the darkness, their hands probing for the other while maneuvering through the various pieces of furniture. "Marco," Brooke called out. "Polo," Haley responded. "Marco," Brooke said again, this time grabbing onto something soft and cushiony. "POLOOOO HOLY SHI T! Brooke, that's my boob!" Brooke immediately let go, "Sorry." Haley was breathing heavily not only from her fright, but also from Brooke's hand on her. She felt the nipple on her breast harden from Brooke's gentle squeeze and soft touch.

"Don't worry about it," she said. "Haley, I really am sorry. I didn't mean to-" "I said it's okay," Haley said in a louder tone, the frustration evident in her voice. There was complete silence for a minute or two until Haley finally spoke softly, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled at you-" Brooke interrupted her, "You had every right..." However, Haley continued on as if not hearing her, this time speaking in a lighter, slightly humorous tone, "It's not every day that I have someone groping me in the dark." Brooke laughed at this and then responded, "Let's go find those candles. Don't you have any flashlights?" "No batteries," Haley said then took her hand, "follow me. I'll try not to make you run into furniture." They went to Haley's bedroom and both parted ways to search for candles. "There should be some in the cabinet of my dresser, right side," Haley instructed as she went into her bathroom to grab some that she knew were there then reentered the bedroom, "find them?" "No, just some papers and a few books," she responded as she stood.

"Hmm, there might be some in the left cabinet," Haley thought as she walked over to it. She crouched down near the dresser and searched for the handle when her hand brushed up against something. Brooke nearly jumped five feet in the air, "SHI T! Haley is that you? Or do you have some cat that I don't know about? Because I just felt something on my butt!" Haley tumbled backwards onto the floor, stunned by what Brooke had said. Haley's mind was screaming with fright and happiness, _'I touched Brooke's butt!' _She wanted to touch it again and feel the curves of her cheeks and hips and the strong muscles of her thighs. _'Stop thinking like this! Brooke doesn't like you that way. You need to get over her...' _Haley instructed herself.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter! This one has very little Baley in it, but I promise there will be a lot of Baley the next chapter. Although there was little in this chapter, this chapter was very necessary in the plot. I am currently working on Chapter 7 and I hope to have it up by this weekend if no problems arise. Well, without further ado, here's Chapter 6! Please read and review as always! They are VERY much appreciated!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **PG to PG-13

P.S. - I am really missing the Laley on the show! With Haley and Nathan fighting, I hope she turns to Luke! And did you guys see Haley kissing Chris in the preview for the next episode! That is so wrong! NO NO NO, Haley don't kiss Chris! Kiss Lucas!

**In the Presence of an Angel**

**Chapter 6**

Brooke stayed at Haley's house a few days more while the bruise healed up to where it was at least able to be covered by makeup. Both couldn't deny it to themselves that they had enjoyed each other's company because they both knew what it was like to live with parents you never saw and who didn't care about you. Brooke was troubled, though, because ever since the night of the storm, Haley had been distant and quiet, talking only when asked something and spacing out a lot. It wasn't that hard for Haley to avoid her because she had school and then work most days. She often came home, claiming exhaustion and would go to bed. Brooke sensed this tension and decided to sleep on the couch for the remainder of her stay. A part of Haley had been like this before that night, and Brooke thought it might be due to the rift in Haley and Lucas' friendship. So, the first day back at school, Brooke set out to repair the friendship between the two.

Now, normally Brooke would be fashionably late to school but today she arrived before school started and searched for Lucas. She found him at his locker with Jake by his side as they talked and he got out his books. All the feelings of what he had done and said to Haley the past few days resurfaced, infuriating her so that when she approached the two boys, she had an angry look on her face.

Lucas noticed Brooke headed his way and turned to her as she neared earshot, "Hey Brooke, what's up? Where have you been? Peyton's been worried sick about you." Without a word, Brooke grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him roughly into an empty classroom and shut the door. She then pinned him against the wall and he laughed, "If you wanted to ravage me somewhere private we could go into the janitor's closet." She slapped him hard and spoke harshly, "You bastard! How could you do that to your girlfriend? You know, Peyton, my best friend? You make me sick! I didn't come here to 'ravage' you, I came here to set things straight about Haley."

Brooke could see the sadness in his eyes but he responded in an angry tone, "So Haley has you doing her dirty work now?" "No, she explained all she could to you and now I'm explaining the rest and she doesn't even know I'm here," Brooke said fiercely, tugging on his shirt for emphasis, "now you listen to me good here Scott. You really hurt her by your assumptions and physical abuse, that's right, I said assumptions. Usually, when you assume, it makes an as s out of you and me, or in this case, Haley, but this one is all on you. You weren't there while she cried her eyes out after you two fought and the day you and Nathan were fighting. I've never seen anyone so hurt... Now let's get this straight. Haley is NOT sleeping with Nathan! She was not hugging him that day you came over and she WAS tutoring him Sunday morning. I know this because I was there, at her house with her this past week. She was hugging ME, not Nathan. He didn't know I was there while she was tutoring him, only that a friend was staying there at her house."

"Why were you at Haley's house for a week? I thought you two weren't really friends. You guys hardly talk to each other," he returned nastily. "You really want to know, Lucas? Huh, do you," she prodded angrily then took some tissues and wet them with her water bottle then cleaned off some of her makeup where the bruise was. Lucas gasped and concern filled his expression, "Who did this to you?" "My mother," Brooke said coldly then responded in a softer tone, "I stayed at Haley's while this cleared up and to get away from my mother. She took care of me when I needed help and now I'm helping her through this. There is NOTHING going on between her and Nathan."

Lucas hugged her, "I'm sorry." Brooke replied as she pulled away from him, "I'm not the one you should be saying that to." "I know. I've apologized so many times but she won't listen to me. I guess I can understand though. God, I was so awful to her..." "Then somehow get her to listen. She won't admit it, but she misses you Lucas. I can see it in her eyes and she acts differently. You need to make it up to her, BIG time," Brooke said as she finally let go of his shirt. "I will, I promise," Lucas replied. "Good. Now with that settled, I'm going to go to the bathroom to fix my makeup again. Oh, and I'm going to forget to tell Peyton what you said about wanting to ravage me in the janitor's closet. Normally, if you were some other jerk, I would tell her. Got it Scott?" "Yes, ma'am," He responded.

"I don't know what she sees in you," Brooke muttered as she walked past him towards the door to the classroom. "Maybe it's my charming good looks, my funny sense of humor, or maybe it's because I'm good in bed," Lucas smirked. Brooke made a disgusted face as she mimicked something Haley had dome before and covered her ears, "Ahhh, virgin ears!" Lucas laughed as he smirked again, "Oh, your ears are anything but virgin Brooke." "Stop flirting with me," Brooke shouted, "you have a girlfriend!" "I can't help it if nobody can resist me," he smiled. "Are you trying to tell me something, Scott? You said 'nobody', which implies everybody, as in girls and boys." Lucas got a shocked expression on his face then replied, "I am not gay, Brooke!" "I didn't say you were," Brooke smiled coyly as she opened the door and left. He ran after her, "Brooke!" She turned to him and responded jokingly with a wide smile, "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me."

At lunch, Brooke approached the table where Haley, Peyton, and Nathan sat. "Hey girls," she greeted as she took a seat between Haley and Peyton. Nathan remarked loudly, "Hey, what about me?" Brooke smiled, "Like I said, hey girls." Nathan scoffed and returned to eating his lunch. Peyton turned and hugged Brooke tightly, "Brooke! Where have you been? I was worried about you. You haven't been at home or answering your phone." "I know and I'm sorry. I've been at Haley's house the past week." Peyton then turned to Haley with a mad and confused expression on her face, "Haley, why did you lie to me?" Brooke interrupted on Haley's behalf, "I made her promise not to tell anyone I was staying there." "Why," Peyton asked. Brooke lowered her head and tears welled in her eyes, "Because my mother hit me." Despite her earlier decision to try and get over Brooke, Haley rubbed her back in comfort.

Peyton wrapped her arms around Brooke's neck, her own eyes brimming with tears, and murmured in her ear, "I'm sorry Brookie. I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you." Brooke patted her back and replied, "It's okay. Haley took good care of me." Nathan had been quiet during the girls' conversation but now spoke up quietly, "Why didn't you tell us Brooke? We could have helped you. Lucas would have helped you too." "Of course I would have. You're a friend to all of us and if you ever need help, you can come to any one of us," a voice behind them spoke and all turned to see Lucas approaching nervously with his hands stuffed in his pockets. "I-I-I've got to go," Haley stuttered as she stood and began to walk away. "Haley, wait! Please stay," Lucas pleaded as he gently grabbed her arm. "No," she said coldly before yanking her arm from his grasp and walking off.

Lucas sighed and sat down then placed his elbows on the table and buried his head in his hands, "She's never going to forgive me." "She'll come around. You've got to give her some time," Brooke responded sympathetically. "Yeah, but I'm afraid that if I give her too much time, she'll never forgive me," Lucas replied. "She'd never let go of a friendship as strong as yours," Brooke said. "Well, apparently it must not be very strong if she will let something like this come between us," Lucas replied bitterly.

"Lucas, you of all people should know how Haley feels about sex," Brooke retorted, knowing that they talked about everything. This startled everyone and they all turned to look at her with wide-eyed expressions. "What's that supposed to mean," he asked furiously. "You guys tell each other everything. You should know how uncomfortable Haley is talking about sex, let alone having it! So how could you even possibly think that Haley would be having sex with Nathan? Are you that dense? I can't believe you!" She scoffed in disgust and stormed from the table.

"She's right..." Lucas said softly after a few minutes, finally realizing truth in Brooke's words. He quickly stood and turned to his brother, "Nathan, I-I... I'm sorry. For accusing you and beating you up. Can we try to start over? Clean slate?" "Um, sure. I'd like that," Nathan replied a little hesitantly. Lucas stuck out his hand for him to shake and once Nathan's hand touched his, he grabbed his fingers and curled his knuckles to his palm like many guys do and leaned down to give him a stiff one-armed hug. "I'll see you later Nathan," he gave his brother a small smile and then gave Peyton a soft kiss on the lips, "I love you Peyt. I'll see you later too. I've got some serious thinking to do on how I can make it up to Haley." "Bye," both said in almost a robotic tone, stunned by the event that had unfolded only seconds before.

A few minutes after Lucas left, Nathan stood and said to Peyton, "I've gotta go, I have to talk to Whitey about something. See ya Peyton." As Nathan departed, Jake walked up, "Do my eyes deceive me or did I just see Nathan and Lucas hugging not two minutes ago when they were fighting each other like two or three days ago?" "Nope, you're not having eye problems. They were hugging," Peyton responded as she smiled. "And what caused this sudden change of heart," Jake asked. "Brooke had some insightful words for Lucas, believe it or not." "Wow... Can I ask you something?" "Sure," she replied. "Are we in the Twilight Zone? Nathan and Lucas getting along... not something I thought would ever happen." "It feels like it sometimes. I never thought so either, but I'm glad it's finally happening. It will be good for all of us, especially Haley." "Yeah," Jake responded just as the bell rang for classes to resume, "come on, I'll walk you to class."

Later that afternoon, Haley was working on an English paper but was distracted by thoughts of Brooke. _'She looked so beautiful today... Stop it Haley! You can't think about her! It'll only make it harder to get over her.' _She moved from her desk to her bed and clutched a pillow to her chest as she fought the tears beginning to form in her eyes. _'I can't just forget about her... I love her...' _"God, what am I going to do," Haley asked herself as she exchanged the pillow for Mr. Waffles, "what am I supposed to do Mr. Waffles? I need some advice here." He, of course, gave no answer. Haley laughed lightly at herself, realizing how crazy she was acting. Here she was asking a stuffed animal for advice on love and matters of the heart.

Someone knocked on her front door and she quickly wiped away her tears then went to greet the person. She opened the door to find Lucas standing there with his jaw clenched, a determined look on his face. She immediately began to close it, but Lucas stuck his foot in the door and forced it back open. Haley looked at him with wide eyes as she backed away from him, "Luke, what are you doing?" He said nothing but continued into the house, slowly walking towards her as he stared her in the eyes. She kept backing up until she could go no further; she was up against the rear of the couch and Lucas stood only inches from her, his gaze never faltering. Lucas' actions were starting to scare her and she was afraid of what he might do. He reached out and grabbed the sides of her arms firmly so she wouldn't move away and she flinched at his touch. He softened his grip slightly at this as he stared intently into her eyes for several seconds before he wrapped her into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry... so sorry. Brooke told me everything... I'm so sorry I didn't believe you..." She could feel his tears on her neck and his warm, irregular breaths as he continued to hug her tight to his body. Haley was surprised that Brooke had told Lucas about her mother hitting her when she hadn't wanted anybody to know, but she was glad for the sweet gesture she had made. She now had her best friend back. Haley began to cry now too and she just melted into his arms. Everything that had been going on lately came to the surface in the form of tears. Brooke coming to her house, the fight with Lucas and subsequent distance of their friendship, the events of Brooke staying at her house, and her feelings for her and her attempts to get over these feelings but without even a tiniest bit of success.

"I missed you... so much..." she said then she buried her head in his chest as he gently picked her up and walked them over to the couch and sat them down. He brushed the hair away from her face and gently lifted her chin then kissed her forehead, "I missed you too Hales. You can only imagine..." Her sobs became harder and he was the one to comfort her now. "Shh," he murmured softly in her ear, "it's alright..." She wanted to tell him everything; about Brooke and her feelings towards her, but he wouldn't understand. It hurt so much to keep this all inside and that she couldn't tell her best friend when she desperately needed him to help her through this.

They were silent for nearly fifteen minutes, just holding one another in a strong embrace. He slowly pulled away from her and cupped her cheek, "I'm going to make it up to you Hales, I swear I am. Do you have plans for tonight?" She shook her head no and he responded with a soft smile, "Good. Meet me at the café at six okay? I know we just made up, but I have to go, basketball practice. Whitey's really laying it on us for the game tomorrow night. So, I'll see you at the café at six right?" He asked this for reassurance, hoping that Haley wouldn't back out. She nodded again and smiled then pushed his face away from her, "Go." "She speaks," Lucas exclaimed with a laugh. "Get out of here before I change my mind about hanging out with you," she laughed too as she gestured towards the door.

"And why wouldn't you want to hang out with me," he asked in mock hurt and surprise. "Because you already have a date and it's called your ego," she replied sarcastically. Lucas snorted and protest then returned with a witty comeback, "Well then you do too and it's called your brain." "Hey, at least I'm smart. You're just self-centered," she retorted with a smirk on her face. He offered his hand out for her to shake, "Hello Smart, I'm Self-Centered. Nice to meet you." Haley laughed louder at this as she took his hand in hers and shook it. She looked at her watch and replied, "You better get going or you'll be late for practice." "Gee, that hurt Hales. It's nice to know you want me around." "Get out of here Scott," she ordered with a laugh as she pointed to the door. "Alright, alright, I'm going," he put his hands up in surrender and walked towards the exit, "see ya tonight Hales." "Bye Luke," she responded with a wave as he walked out of the house.

Promptly at six that night, Haley arrived at the café to find it dark except a few dimly lit lights on inside. She took out her key and unlocked the door then walked over to the counter where she found a note. _'Haley, thanks for joining me tonight. Come up to the roof and our night will begin. Oh, and bring up some hot chocolate, it's cold up here.' _Haley rolled her eyes at this; he was always so dramatic, plus it wasn't even all that cold outside. She then read the rest of the note. _'Don't roll your eyes. I'm freezing my ass off up here! So get that hot cocoa and get up here so you can freeze your ass off too. Maybe then you'll be more appreciative that I made you bring some up here.' _She laughed then went to grab a pot of hot water still on the warmer and poured some into two mugs. She got out two packets of cocoa mix and poured them in then stirred them to mix it and added the mini marshmallows. She then went up to the roof to find it empty of her best friend.

A voice from behind startled her to where she almost spilled the contents of the mugs, "Geez, took you long enough. I feel like I'm getting frostbite here." He took one of the mugs from her and sipped it. "Drama queen. It's not all that cold out Lucas." He scoffed then offered a putter to her, "A round of miniature golf, m'lady." She accepted it and set her mug down then grabbed a golf ball, "Quit with that chivalry crap, it died a long time ago. And you're no knight in shining armor either." "Me? Not a knight in shining armor? What about the time I carried your books when you broke your arm or the time I stayed with you when you had the chicken pox or the time you thought you were drowning... in the bathtub!" Lucas laughed. She hit him lightly then responded, "We were three years old and the water was high! And if my memory serves me right, I broke my arm because I fell out of tree YOU dared me to climb and you stayed with me when I had the chicken pox because you felt sorry for me because YOU gave them to me." "True," he chuckled as he reached for his own putter and ball, "ladies first."

They played for an hour then Lucas put up the equipment and led her back down to the café. "What are we doing down here," she asked. "Follow me," he led her to a small table and pulled out her chair, "wait here. I'm going to fix our dinner." While she waited, she brought out the stereo from under the counter and turned it to her favorite station. She lightly sang the ones she knew and hummed the tunes of those she didn't as she danced across the café. As a young girl, Haley's mother, when she'd been around, had made her go to ballet lessons. She was quite a good dancer, even in other types of dance other than ballet and just regular dancing in general. As the song ended, she twirled once and bent down in a grand gesture with her hand near her ankle and one leg bent back as if issuing a bow. Unnoticed by her, Lucas had been watching and now clapped enthusiastically, "That was amazing Hales." She blushed, "Thanks. How long have you been standing there?" "Eh, couple minutes. Dinner's ready. Sit at the table and I'll bring it out."

He came out a few minutes later with two plates in hand and set them on the table, "Food of the Gods because you're a goddess for taking me back after all that I did and said to you this past week. I'm really sorry Hales." She pushed some of the macaroni around on her plate as she replied, "What made you realize that I was telling the truth about not sleeping with Nathan?" "Brooke," he responded, "she reminded me that...hold on, give me a minute or this might come out wrong... she reminded me of how uncomfortable you are talking about sex and that if you were so uncomfortable about it, you wouldn't be having sex anyway. I'm sorry, it sounded better in my head. But you know what I mean, right?" She nodded and he then continued, "Oh, and I'll have you know that I apologized to Nathan and we're going to try to be friends." "That's great Lucas! I'm really happy; Nathan's a great guy, you'll like him. He may have a tough exterior, but he's really a nice guy once you get to know him," Haley exclaimed happily and she then began to eat.

After they had finished dinner and put the dishes in the washer, Lucas led Haley back up to the roof. "Luke, what are we doing back up here?" "I want to show you something, wait right here." He walked to a darkened corner and grabbed what he was searching for then quietly crept towards Haley and broke it over her head, sending milk pouring down on her. She slowly turned towards him with her shoulders hunched and a shocked, slightly mad expression on her face, "Oh, you are so dead." A water balloon fight then ensued for another forty minutes until they went back down into the café to grab some towels and dry off.

"Okay, part 3 of the Luke and Hales Reunion Night is complete. Now on to the next part," Lucas declared as he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the door. "How many parts are there," she asked curiously. "Only one more," he said as he locked the door and led her to his truck. "Luke, where are we going?" "You'll just have to wait and see," he replied with a smile. Once they arrived at their destination, Haley turned to him with a confused expression and stated, "Luke, we're at your house." "I know," he replied, "come on." He got out the truck then went to her side and helped her down then they walked into the house.

"Okay, we've got all our favorite foods and candies plus ice cream. It's all enough for a Grade A sugar stroke that will surely leave us comatose until morning. We also have all of our favorite movies. Let's get this party started," Lucas exclaimed as he jumped on the couch and grabbed the remote. Haley looked through the movies and held one up to him, "The Terminator, Luke? I don't recall this being one of my favorite movies." "Eh, I figure we could squeeze it in if we get to all the others. I am sacrificing myself to watch all these sappy chick flicks for you, you know." "Yeah, whatever. I think I'm going to take a shower first, this milk is getting a little sticky." "Yeah, you're starting to smell." She pushed him lightly then sniffed the air and scrunched her face, "You smell too." "Hey," he responded in protest. "Can I borrow some clothes?" "Yep, bottom drawer," he said as he got up too, "you can take a shower in my bathroom and I'll take one in my Mom's. Meet back out here in twenty minutes?" "Yup," she replied as she headed to Lucas' bedroom.

"Took you long enough," Lucas stated as Haley entered the living room in a pair of his sweats forty minutes later. "I had to wash the milk out of my hair, it's longer than yours," she replied, sitting on the couch. She curled up next to him and rested her head on his shoulder, "Thanks for this, tonight, I really needed it. I missed you, I missed this... We haven't had a night like this in a while." "Yeah, our lives have gotten so busy this year..." he said as he thought of the past months; joining the team, popularity, dating cheerleaders. "More yours than mine, but I get what you mean," Haley responded. "I promise to spend more time with you. I don't want to lose our friendship; you're my best friend Hales." "You're my best friend too," Haley replied as she hugged him and they began to watch the movie.

Brooke pulled up to the house and got out of her car. She had gone home after school that day and sure enough, her mother was gone just as she had expected. However, after spending a week with Haley, she couldn't help but think that she couldn't live without her. Her whole life in that week had been spent revolving around one person and one setting: Haley and her house. She felt out of place in her own home as she always had, but now more than before. She missed Haley. She didn't want to impose in on her any longer than she had, feeling as if she were overstaying her welcome even though Haley said she hadn't been, but she needed to see her. At school, they barely talked, if not at all. They didn't sit near each other in classes together because of assigned seats and they hadn't talked at lunch because she had run off at the appearance of Lucas. She hoped that their time together, getting to know each other, hadn't been forgotten and that they wouldn't go back to being acquaintances as they had been before that week.

She walked up the sidewalk to Haley's front door and hesitated before she knocked. No one answered the door and it was then she realized that all the lights in the house were out; Haley wasn't home. An expression of hurt and pain appeared on her face as she sunk down to sit on the top step and curled her knees to her chest. She buried her head in her hands and cried. She was alone again.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter! I don't think this is all that great of a chapter, given it's supposed to be one of the high points of the story. Even though I think it's less than my usual par, I hope you like it. As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters belong to the nice people at the WB.

**Rating:** PG to PG-13

**In the Presence of an Angel**

**Chapter 7**

"Hey Hales, you coming to the game tonight," Lucas asked as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders while she was getting some books out of her locker. She turned to him and saw Nathan beside him and responded with wide, unbelieving eyes, "Well, isn't this a sight to see! You two actually hanging out. Yes, I'm coming to cheer on my two favorite Scott brothers, so you better win." "Of course, Hales. Otherwise the party wouldn't be as sweet after the game," Nathan said, "it's at my beach house." "Hell yeah there's going to be a party. There's going to be one whether we win or not. And I hear Tim is actually bringing a date to this one," Brooke said as she and Peyton walked up to them. "Yeah, but who would want to date Tim? He's such a perv; he once looked into the girls locker room while the cheerleaders were changing," Peyton added. "That's like an everyday occurrence Peyt," Brooke said back as she rolled her eyes.

"So, are you coming to the party tonight after the game Hales," Lucas asked. "I don't know, it's really not my scene," she replied. "Aww, come on Hales, please. You owe it to me because I'm still trying to make up with you," Lucas begged. "Oh please, you'll be too busy making OUT with Peyton to be making UP with me. She was gone for a whole, LONG, three days, four LONELY nights…" All of them laughed as Lucas and Peyton both blushed. "Come on Hales, come to the party. While those two are doing their thing, you can hang out with me. I'm going solo this week. No boys, just lots of drinking and dancing, and drinking," Brooke laughed. "Brooke Davis going solo at a party," Peyton looked at her with wide eyes then turned to Haley, "what have you done to my best friend? How could you corrupt her in just a week?" Everybody broke out into laughter again.

"I still don't know," Haley said nervously. How could you get over something if that was the one thing you couldn't get away from? Haley was desperately trying to avoid her feelings and get over Brooke, but how would she be able to if she kept getting put in these situations with her? "Don't worry Hales, I'll protect you from Drunky Brooke. She can get kind of touchy-feely once she's had a few. Oh wait, that's all the time," Nathan joked as Brooke slapped him in the back of the head. "Hey, what was that for," he asked as he rubbed the spot. "For being a smart ass," she replied. "Wow, I'm touched. Brooke Davis just called me smart," he said as he covered his heart with both of his hands. Brooke glared at him.

"Please Haley? You've been cooped up in that house all week and you're always spending nights at home. Come out and live a little with us. Plus, you can show everyone your sweet moves," Lucas smiled as he remembered her dancing in the café last night. Haley glared at him threateningly, telling him not to go there, "Luke! That was supposed to be a secret!" "Hey, I can't help it if I caught you. You were doing it in plain sight," Lucas replied. "You were supposed to be cooking dinner in the kitchen," Haley responded. "It was done. You are a great dancer Haley, you should be proud of what you can do and should show other people too. You can't just stay behind closed doors all the time. Please come Hales," Lucas pleaded with her. Sighing in defeat, Haley replied, "Alright, I'll come. But if someone tries to feel me up or tries something, I'm out of there." "And I'll take you home. Right after I kick him in the balls and beat him up," he responded as he hugged her, "tonight will be fun Hales, I promise." _'I hope so,' _Haley thought as she glanced at Brooke from the corner of her eye.

Later that night, Haley was at home getting dressed for the party as she looked back on the night so far. The Tree Hill Ravens had gone to victory with Nathan and Lucas teaming up to make the winning shot. That, in itself was surprising, but what surprised her more was that Lucas had been the one to pass the ball to Nathan, something he had very rarely done and only because of orders from Whitey. Once Nathan had dunked the shot, both had smiled at each other and slapped high fives before joining the rest of the team.

During the game though, her attention was split not only between the two boys but Brooke as well. She looked amazing in her cheerleading outfit as she always did with her hair slightly thicker from mousse, her bright red lipstick, and a painted blue 'R' for Ravens on her left cheek. Haley watched as she jumped around and shook her pompoms while she cheered loudly along with the other cheerleaders. After the Ravens had won the game, Haley had made her way down onto the court to congratulate Nathan, Luke, and Jake as she kept an eye on Brooke, who was hugging Peyton and then hugging the boys too. Once she reached the group, she embraced the guys and then Peyton and Brooke came up to hug her while jumping around in excitement. When Brooke had pulled her into a hug, Haley had stiffened a little, for fear of melting in her arms. It had been hard the past couple days trying to avoid Brooke while being around her so much, especially in confined places such as her house. She wanted to hold her in her own arms and never let her go.

Haley was brought out of her thoughts by her clock beeping; Luke would be there in half an hour. Haley put on her dress and applied a thin layer of light pink lip gloss then did her hair. She curled odd strands of hair, giving her hair a slight wave and a fuller look. Her dress was a dark magenta, almost purple, Hawaiian dress that fell just below the knees. It had spaghetti straps with a drawstring at the top but hidden on the inside and a white one inch trim along the outside of the dress. She added a pair of dangling sort of dream catcher looking earrings about the same color of her dress then strapped on some white three-inch sandals with flower embroidery on them to complete her outfit.

She ran her hands down the dress to smooth it against her body and made sure her hair looked perfect as she gazed in the mirror at herself. _'I hope Brooke likes the dress… Haley, stop it! You're going to go to this party to have fun and NOT think about Brooke.' _She grabbed her purse and made her way downstairs to wait for Lucas to come pick her up. She was startled when she saw Lucas standing near the bottom of the stairs staring at her in stunned shock. "God Luke, you scared me. I didn't hear you come in," Haley responded a little breathlessly as she placed a hand to her chest. "Hales… you look beautiful," he replied, awestruck. "Thanks," she replied as she took in Lucas' outfit, "you look… like you." He was dressed casually in a pair of loose-fitting jeans and a double layered shirt; the top layer being of faded red and the bottom of white. "Thanks… I think," he responded, "so, are you ready to go to this party?"

"I guess… as ready as I'll ever be," Haley responded a little nervously as she slipped on a white sweater. "Save me a couple dances, okay," he requested as he held open the front door for her and led her to his truck. "Sure," she smiled and then climbed into the cab with help from Lucas. When they arrived at Nathan's beach house, the party was already in full swing with people dancing, drinking, and making out. "Either the party started a little early or we're arriving a little late," Haley said as someone staggered by. "Well, if you hadn't taken so long… I swear, you girls take too much time getting all prettied up for only a couple hours, especially if its going to get messed up or taken off anyway," Lucas replied nonchalantly, "me, I'm just fine with a girl in a shirt and jeans. That's one of the reasons I like Peyton; she can still look beautiful in a pair of beat up or torn old jeans and a t-shirt but still get dressed up once in a while."

Haley crossed her arms and turned from him, beginning to walk away, "I'm going to go find Nathan and see if he needs any help." Lucas realized his mistake and apologized, "I'm sorry Hales, I didn't mean it." "Yes you did," she said quietly then waved her hand to dismiss it, "but don't worry about it. I'm fine." "I really need to censor my mouth when I'm talking don't I? Anyways, please have fun tonight," he asked of her. As he and Haley passed by the drink table, Haley grabbed a glass of alcohol and downed it in one gulp with a scrunched face then smiled at him and raised the glass to show him, "See? Already having fun." He looked at her with a surprised expression; Haley wasn't much of a drinker. "Don't have too many of those," he warned in a serious tone then added jokingly, "I don't want to see you break dancing on any tables."

Haley laughed, "I promise. It might be better if I dance with you now before I get too drunk. Then you'll probably be embarrassed to be seen with me." "Alright, let's go," Lucas took her hand and led her to the large living room floor filled with teenagers dancing and gyrating to the music. "No grinding," Haley warned with a poke in the chest. "Gotcha," he replied. They danced to three songs together, two fast-paced and one slow then she danced two with Nathan before Lucas asked her to dance again.

"So, are you having fun? Honestly," he asked. "Yeah, I am," she replied as she moved her arms from around his neck to his waist to hug him. "How many drinks have you had," he inquired concernedly. "Only two," she responded, "No Peyton yet." "No, I don't know where she and Brooke are. They were supposed to be here an hour ago." Haley tried to hide the worry surfacing within her with a slight laugh, "Oh you know Brooke, she probably couldn't pick a dress out of the hundreds she has then took forever messing with her hair and makeup. Then there's shoes, accessories, and her purse. They're probably just running late because they had to change out of their uniforms after the game."

"Yeah," he replied. Someone cleared their throat beside them and tapped on Lucas' shoulder, "May I cut in?" They both turned to see Jake and smiled. Lucas stepped aside and Jake took his place, wrapping an arm around her waist and taking on of her hands in his. "You look beautiful tonight Haley," he said, "and Luke was right; you dance really well." "Thanks," she said sincerely with a blush at his compliment then responded sarcastically, "I'm a regular party girl." He laughed too, "I'm serious." Just then, Haley felt a chill run down her spine and looked to her right. Brooke had entered the house with Peyton on her arm, both dressed to the nines.

Peyton wore a dark jade green satin dress with matching heels and her hair in her normal tight curls but on one side, some of it was pulled back with a flower the same color as the dress. Brooke wasn't wearing her normal part dress that went to almost above her knees tonight. She wore a dark ocean blue dress that went to nearly her ankles and it wasn't tight like most of the others she always wore. Well, it was tight in the chest area of course, as Brooke always liked it, but the bottom of the dress flowed freely around her legs and seemed to flow behind her as she walked across the floor. It had a v-neck top and one inch think spaghetti straps and her hair was a in medium-sized curls all over her head. To complete her outfit, she too wore matching heels and a pair of hoop earrings.

When Brooke and Peyton had walked in, and as if it were some sign, the song changed to Leann Rimes' 'Right Kind of Wrong' from the Coyote Ugly movie over the speakers. Haley closed her eyes, tears beginning to well in them as she listened to the words.

_Know all about  
__About your reputation  
__And how it's bound to be a heartbreak situation  
__But I can't help it if I'm helpless  
__Every time that I'm where you are_

_You walk in and my strength walks out the door  
__Say my name and I can't fight it anymore  
__Oh I know, I should go  
__But I need your touch just too damn much_

_Loving you isn't really something I should do  
__Shouldn't wanna spend my time with you  
__That I should try to be strong  
__But baby you're the right kind of wrong  
__Yeah baby you're the right kind of wrong_

_Might be a mistake  
__A mistake I'm making  
__But what you're giving me I am happy to be taking  
__Cause no one's ever made me feel  
__The way I feel when I'm in your arms  
__They say you're something I should do without  
__They don't know what goes on  
__When the lights go out  
__There's no way to explain  
__All the pleasure is worth all the pain_

_Loving you isn't really something I should do  
__Shouldn't wanna spend my time with you  
__That I should try be strong  
__But baby you're the right kind of wrong  
__Yeah baby you're the right kind of wrong_

_I should try to run  
__But I just can't seem to  
__Cause every time I run you're the one I run to  
__Can't do without, what you do to me  
__I don't care if I'm in too deep_

_Know all about  
__About your reputation  
__And how it's bound to be a heartbreak situation  
__But I can't help it if I'm helpless  
__Every time that I'm where you are_

_You walk in and my strength walks out the door  
__Say my name and I can't fight it anymore  
__Oh I know, I should go  
__But I need your touch just too damn much_

_Loving you isn't really something I should do  
__Shouldn't wanna spend my time with you  
__That I should try to be strong  
__But baby you're the right kind of wrong  
__Yeah baby you're the right kind of wrong_

She couldn't fight the hurt, pain, and jealously warring within her. The pain and hurt of loving someone who didn't love you back, of trying to get over Brooke but helplessly losing, and the jealousy of other guys getting to be with her when she couldn't. To fight these feelings, she did the first thing she thought of; she kissed Jake hard on the mouth. Abruptly she pulled away, and whispered as she ran from the room, "I'm sorry."

From across the living room by the entrance, Brooke saw the kiss and fought back the tears threatening to fall then walked over to the drink table and grabbed two drinks then gulped them both down quickly. She could already begin to feel the alcohol taking effect, giving her a slight buzz. Peyton had followed her and now said concernedly, "Whoa there Brooke. Just because you're not into boys tonight doesn't mean you should double up on the alcohol." "I changed my mind," Brooke said in almost a low growl then walked off, but not before grabbing another drink.

Haley raced to one of the empty guest bedrooms and slammed the door behind her, collapsing to the floor in a dark corner as she clutched her knees tight to her chest and buried her head in her arms. Tremendous sobs wracked her body and only seem to grow in intensity as the minutes ticked on.

Jake searched desperately for Haley after she had run from him, but he didn't know where she was. He knew she had been drinking but didn't know how much; he hoped she wouldn't do anything stupid or something that she would regret the next morning. He finally found her in one of the rooms near the back of the house and what he saw scared and worried him greatly. He carefully knelt down in front of the very distraught girl and placed a hand gently on her shoulder. "Haley," he said softly, "what's wrong?" She shook her head vehemently and replied through choked sobs, "No… I c-can't t-tell you…" "Okay, then why don't we start with why you kissed me," he asked gently as he moved to sit cross-legged on the floor. "…C-Can't explain… you-you wouldn't understand…" she said almost incoherently.

"Well, you've got to give me at least a little information here so I can help you," he coaxed gently as he began to rub her back in comfort. Haley tore away from him and yelled harshly, "I don't need your help!" She broke into more tears and replied, "I'm sorry…" Jake hesitantly started comforting her again, hoping she wouldn't pull away this time, "Sh…it's okay…" "No! It's not okay," she shouted. Despite his will to comfort and soothe his friend, Jake was becoming very worried and scared. He had never seen her so upset before or yell at anyone like she had other than Lucas.

"Do you want me to go get Lucas," Jake asked softly. "No," she yelled again then dissolved into tears once more as she spoke in almost a whisper, "no one can help me… only Brooke…" Haley blanched at the realization that she mentioned Brooke and hoped the Jake did not discover her feelings. "Do you want me to go get Brooke," Jake inquired. "No," she said softer this time. Jake responded, "Then why…" Haley looked up when he stopped and he saw the tears, the vulnerability, the pain and hurt inside her. He then pieced together their interaction from dancing earlier up until now and then he knew.

"You like Brooke," he said slowly as if he were approaching an injured animal and one wrong move it would flee. The droplets began to cascade down her cheeks and she stared at him for a few seconds before burying her head in her arms again. "Haley," he encouraged her to open up to him. Defeated at hiding her emotions, Haley nodded. Jake hugged her and Haley asked quietly, "What am I going to do Jake?" He stroked her hair and rubbed her back comfortingly, "I don't know. I wish I could offer you some sort of advice to help you through this but I don't know what to say. However, I can offer you a listening and very understanding ear. I will be here for you if you ever need to talk." "Thanks Jake, you're a really great friend," Haley replied as she hugged him tighter.

"You okay," he asked, pulling away and gazing at her. She gave him a sad, watery smile, "Not right now, but I will be." They sat in silence for a few moments until Haley spoke up quietly, "Jake, thanks for being here for me tonight. But I would like to be alone for a little while." He hugged her one last time before getting up and leaving the room, "You're going to be okay Haley." Once Jake had left, Haley asked herself, "How? How is it going to be okay?" She curled up just as she had when she entered the room and started crying again. She was so engrossed in her own thoughts and crying that she didn't hear the door open.

Brooke and some random guy from school were furiously making out as they made their way to one of the bedrooms in the back of the house. Brooke was backing up and the guy was pushing forward and soon he had Brooke pressed up against a door, fumbling for the doorknob. He finally succeeded in opening it and both moved inside, still kissing passionately. Brooke stopped and pulled away when she heard a noise. She searched around the room until her eyes landed on a huddled form, shaking, and caught a glimpse of a Hawaiian print in the dim light coming from the hallway. Brooke immediately recognized the form and pushed the guy forcefully out of the room, causing him to tumble to the ground, before slamming the door shut. She rushed over to her and knelt down on her knees, placing a hand lightly on her shoulder, "Haley?"

Haley shied away from her touch and Brooke became scared, "Haley, are you alright? Did-did someone hurt you?" Haley refused to look up at Brooke but shook her head in response. Brooke pushed aside Haley's hair and gently took her face in her hands but firmly enough so Haley couldn't pull away. Having no choice, Haley finally looked in her eyes. Brooke's were dark and hazy, clouded by the alcohol she had consumed, but she could see concern in them. Haley wrenched free and ran to the bed, flinging herself on top of it and curling into the fetal position. Brooke followed and sat beside her. "Haley, please talk to me," Brooke pleaded desperately. Brooke feared that something had happened to her, causing her to become withdrawn and mute.

Haley felt herself weakening by the minute, feeling overwhelmed by her emotions and thoughts. She couldn't get close to Brooke, it would only hurt worse. Her sobs lessened but her body continued to shudder. Brooke gathered Haley in her arms and held her while stroking her hair. She gently kissed her forehead and stroked her cheek. At these actions, Haley looked up at her with red, puffy eyes and tearstained cheeks. Brooke gazed down at her and their eyes met, their faces a few mere inches from each other. As if by some magnetic pull, their faces became closer and then their lips met.

Fireworks seemed to explode between them and soon the kiss became deeper. Haley pressed into Brooke's mouth harder and wrapped her arms around Brooke's body. Haley knew it was wrong to take advantage of Brooke while she was intoxicated, but all the emotions she had been feeling rushed back and she couldn't restrain herself. They continued to kiss as the music vibrated through the walls.

_Can't see can't breathe  
Can't get up off my knees  
I don't know what comes over me  
Whenever you come near _

Heart's poundin' in my chest

_Little voice inside my head  
I can't hear a word it said  
But the feelin's loud and clear _

Love must be tellin' me somethin'  
Givin' me some kind of sign  
Love must be tellin' me somethin'  
I must be fallin' tonight

Well I've been in love and lost  
I swore us one and all  
No matter what the cost  
Gotta learn to live without

No you weren't in my plans  
But baby here I am  
I still don't understand  
But I know there ain't no doubt

Love must be tellin' me somethin'  
Givin' me some kind of sign  
Love must be tellin' me somethin'  
I must be fallin' tonight

No you weren't in my plans  
But now baby here I am  
I still don't understand  
But I know there ain't no doubt

Love must be tellin' me  
Love must be tellin' me  
Love must be tellin' me

Love must be tellin' me somethin'  
Givin' me some kind of sign  
Spellin' it out for me  
Love must be tellin' me  
I must be fallin' tonight

Love must be tellin' me somethin'  
Love must be tellin' me somethin'

I must be fallin' tonight

Haley knew it was wrong; they both were drunk and she was feeling vulnerable, but it felt so good, so right to be kissing Brooke. And it wasn't like they were going to remember any of it the next morning anyway. So why fight a good thing?


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! I had a four day vacation this weekend with Thanksgiving so I had lots of time to write even though I had some family over. This chapter is mostly filler and aftermath of the party. I will warn you that drama is ahead! I know this chapter is short, but I wanted to end it like the way I did. As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **PG to PG-13

**In the Presence of an Angel **

**Chapter 8**

The next morning dawned bright and Haley was first to wake by the morning sun shining its rays across her face. She tried to stretch but stopped at the heaviness of her arm and looked over to her left. Brooke lay with her head on Haley's shoulder and her left arm flung over Haley's stomach, curling around her waist, as she breathed softly in her slumber. She surveyed her surroundings and realized where she was, the events of last night flooding back to the front of her mind.

_Haley and Brooke were kissing passionately, their hands roaming through each other's hair, parting every minute or two to catch their breath. "Let's go to my house," Brooke whispered between kisses. "We can't… we've been drinking…" Haley murmured. "…Don't have to drive…beach house…just down the shore…" Brooke said quietly as she began to place small chaste kisses on her neck. "Let's go," Haley responded a little breathlessly as Brooke placed her mouth on her collarbone, sending shivers throughout her body._

They had both slipped out of the house and walked down the shore to Brooke's beach house, only three houses away from Nathan's. They had kissed passionately late into the night until both fell into a peaceful slumber in each other's arms. They had gone no further than kissing, which Haley was grateful for. She would have been embarrassed that she had revealed herself to Brooke and then hurt by the fact that Brooke didn't want her. Although, last night it had felt like Brooke felt the same way by her warm kisses and soft caresses in her hair, she knew it was the alcohol that had fueled Brooke's actions; and hers as well, somewhat.

Haley didn't want Brooke to wake up and find her there, in bed with her, and remember the past night's events because it would only hurt both of them, herself even more so. She didn't want the awkwardness and distance in their friendship she knew would ensue if Brooke found out what had happened. _'Everything is better left buried…' _Haley thought with sadness as she carefully crawled from under Brooke and put on her sweater then grabbed her purse and left the house.

A few hours later, Brooke woke and immediately shut her eyes after opening them. Pain radiated throughout her head and she laid back down. The sun had burned her eyes and she had sat up too fast. She waited a few minutes until she slowly crawled out of bed and stumbled towards the bathroom only to run smack dab into a wall. "That's what I get for walking around with my eyes closed," Brooke muttered as she rubbed her face then opened her eyes slightly to see that the bathroom was in fact, not there. Brooke looked around the room and realized that she was in her room at the beach house.

She looked at her messy hair and wrinkled dress in the mirror then she glanced at her bed, with its equally wrinkled covers. _'Must have been one wild night,' _she thought as she headed towards the bathroom for a shower.

Haley was working at the café that morning when Lucas came in with a concerned look on his face, "Haley, where did you go last night? I looked all over for you and I couldn't find you." She replied sarcastically, "I got drunk off my ass and made out with some guy on the beach. What was his name… I think-I think it was Spike or something weird like that." He stared at her with wide eyes for a few seconds as if he had actually believed what she'd said. "I don't need a babysitter Lucas, I'm seventeen years old. I can take care of myself," she replied. "But you were drinking…" Lucas pointed out as if that were some justification.

"So I had four drinks, big deal. I've seen you drink more. Besides, I was still partially sober." "It is a big deal," Lucas said fiercely. "Why," Haley retorted. "Because you don't drink. At least never that much," he responded with a pleading look in his eyes, "what's going on Hales? You've been up and down in your moods and you act closed off. You won't talk to me and when I ask you, you get defensive. We can't keep fighting like this, Hales. It hurts me that you can't or won't talk to me when there's something that's bothering you or something that you're going through." She walked around the counter and hugged him, "I know, but I just can't tell you. At least not right now." He stared into her eyes to see what she was feeling, something he had always been able to do until lately, and found them blank; she was closing herself off again.

"Just please tell me where you were? I was so worried about you," he said softly. "I got a ride home from Jake. He needed to get home to Jenny and I didn't feel like staying so he offered to take me home," Haley lied. "Thank you for telling me," he hugged her, "I've gotta get to Keith's shop. See you later?" She nodded with a forced smile and then he left.

Haley rested her head in her hands and told herself not to cry; she had been doing too much of that lately. It hurt so much that she couldn't tell her best friend what was going on in her life, at least the part that had consumed most of her thoughts and days the past two weeks.

Someone cleared their throat and asked, "Are you okay?" Haley looked up to see Brooke standing there in a pair of sweats and her white hoodie with her hair up in a messy ponytail. Haley was shocked, not only at seeing her there but in the clothes she was wearing. Brooke Davis was not one to go out in public dressed down like she was. "Yeah," Haley replied nervously, her voice choking up a bit. She didn't know if Brooke remembered last night and she hoped she didn't. "I saw Lucas leave, did you two get in a fight again," Brooke asked softly. "No, he was worried about me because I had a couple drinks last night at the party and I hardly ever drink, that's all," Haley responded as she began to wipe the counter with a rag.

"Yeah, that was some party," Brooke replied as she remembered the state of her bed that morning. Haley froze for a few seconds, fearing that Brooke had remembered. She composed herself and asked, "How's the hangover?" "It's a bitch. I don't know how much I drank last night. I think I lost count after five." "You know you can damage your liver by drinking so much… God, I almost sound like Lucas. He was lecturing me about drinking when I didn't have all that many and he usually drinks more than me."

She looked back up at Brooke and saw that she was rubbing her forehead with a pained look on her face. Haley asked, "Can I get you anything?" "Yeah, a mocha latte. Do you have any Tylenol? I'm all out. I was just on my way to the pharmacy to get some." "Sure, I'll get you some," Haley bent down behind the counter, retrieving her purse, and searching for the bottle of Tylenol. She handed two to Brooke as well as a glass of water and she gulped them down, "Thanks." "No problem," Haley replied with a smile. Haley prepared Brooke's latte and gave it to her. "Thanks again. I've got to get to the pharmacy now and have a few other errands to run. I'll see you later, okay?" "Yep," Haley replied as Brooke waved goodbye. Haley breathed a sigh of relief after she had left, both happy and sad that Brooke had not remembered their night together.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! I'm back with Chapter 9! This chapter has lots of drama in it just so you know. I have to say that I'm surprised at how well this story is going, both in the way I'm writing it and the WONDERFUL reviews I've been receiving for it. When I first started out this story, I had ideas for the beginning, the end, and a few select scenes in between. Other than that, the rest of the writing was up to my hands. Sometimes the words just come so easily to me that I don't even think about what I'm writing and when I read over it again, it fits so perfectly with where I want the story to go. Part of this inspiration is due to all of your lovely reviews, which I appreciate VERY much. Well, here's Chapter 9! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters belong to the WB.

**Rating: **PG to PG-13

P.S. – I turn 18 in **_5 DAYS_**!!!!

**In the Presence of An Angel **

**Chapter 9**

The next three days went off without incident and Haley was glad to be back at school again. She didn't want to mope around her house any longer and was happy for the distraction. She met up with Luke and Peyton by his locker, but her arrival went unnoticed as the two lovebirds were furiously making out. It reminded her of Friday night with Brooke and she smiled then it turned to a frown because she missed Brooke, missed being close to her. She put a smile back on her face and greeted her friends, "Hey guys. How was your weekend?" "It was amazing," Peyton said happily, excitement bursting in her eyes. Luke started blushing and Haley smiled even wider, "Lucas Scott, are you blushing? I thought I'd never see the day after that one time in third grade when that girl, I think her name was Mindy, kissed you."

"I was eight years old! I had never been kissed by a girl before," Lucas protested and when Haley opened her mouth to say something he quickly replied, "and my mother doesn't count." Haley closed her mouth and smiled again, "You know me too well." "Apparently not enough," he muttered under his breath. Haley heard this and responded crossly, ""Lucas, if I really wanted you to know, I would tell you. I will tell you when I'm ready, so until then would you please drop it?" He nodded mutely and then Jake walked up, "Hey kids, what's shakin'?" Haley grabbed his arm and pulled him away from Lucas and Peyton, "We've got to go."

Haley still had her hand on Jake's arm as they walked towards their first hour, Chemistry. "Haley, what's wrong," Jake asked concernedly. "Sorry, I just needed to get out of there." He gently removed her hand and held it, "What's going on Hales?" "Luke is just starting to get on my nerves. He knows something is bothering me but I won't tell him and he's mad about that because I usually talk to him about everything. But I can't tell him about this Jake; he wouldn't understand. Then we might not be as close as we are. Well, we haven't been that close lately besides that one night that Luke tried to make up with me from the fight with Nathan and the whole sleeping-with-him ordeal, but I'm afraid we might drift apart even more if he knew."

Jake hugged her, giving her silent comfort, for he knew not what to say to her in words. They parted from each other and Haley put a smile on her face as she said sarcastically, "Come on Jake, we've got some oh-so-exciting chemistry to learn about. Won't that be so much fun?" "Oh yeah, it'll be a blast," Jake replied in the same tone as they both laughed. They both entered their classroom and sat beside each other, talking before class began.

Despite being back at school, Haley dreaded going to her second hour, English, one of the classes she had with Brooke. She entered the class early and sat in her usual seat, this being one of the classes that didn't have assigned seats. Haley busied herself with reading a book to distract her from Brooke, who would probably be sauntering into the classroom in her usual late fashion a few minutes from now. What she didn't know though, was that Brooke had arrived to English a little early, hoping Haley would sit by her. However, it was if Haley had given her the cold shoulder. Or was it possible that she had not seen her sitting there? Was this how it was going to be? Friends outside of school but acting like they didn't know each other during it?

She tried to fight the tears threatening to fall and after a few moments of slow, steady breaths, she finally succeeded. It was getting all so hard. She missed Haley; she missed their closeness. It felt so right being in Haley's arms when she'd stayed at her house, no matter the circumstances it had been in. She wished they could be that close again, but knew that it would never happen, especially not in the way she wanted it to. So for once, she concentrated on her work, trying to forget about Haley.

When Brooke had not entered the classroom for half an hour, she looked around the room and spotted her. She had one arm curled, her fist between her neck and shoulder, and her cheek rested against the bottom of her arm as she leaned against it, her head almost on the desk surface. The back of Brooke's head greeted Haley and she looked on sadly as Brooke continued to write in her notebook.

As soon as English was over, she quickly met up with Jake, grabbing her books and rushing out of class to avoid Brooke. "Jake, it's getting so hard… I don't know what to do. I'm trying so hard to fight these feelings but I can't…I miss her so much…" she confessed to him in an emotional voice. He put his arm around her shoulders and spoke softly, "I know you do sweetie. Why don't you come to my house tonight to help me out with Jenny and we can talk about everything okay? Besides, I can't carry on a real conversation with Jenny. She just babbles and laughs at me. She doesn't really talk back." Haley giggled and replied, "Just wait until she gets to her teen years, then she'll really talk back." "Oh god, if she's anything like Nikki, I'll be in real trouble." "Nah, she won't be like that. Not when she's got such a great guy for a father. I just want you to know that it means so much to me that you're here for me to talk to. Nobody else I know would be as understanding as you," Haley replied sincerely as she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him lightly on the cheek, "Thanks Jake. I'll see you later tonight."

From down the hall, Brooke watched the exchange and Haley's happy smile as they parted from each other. Seeing this somehow triggered something in her mind and a scene flooded to her vision.

_Brooke and Peyton had just entered Nathan's beach house and she searched for Haley, knowing she would be there. She quickly glanced at the dance floor then looked for Lucas, thinking she might be hanging out with him. However, her gaze was drawn back to the dance floor and she finally spotted Haley. However, what she saw was like a punch in the chest. She saw Haley kissing Jake. It was as if she couldn't breathe, the lights and music becoming fuzzier as she fought to reclaim oxygen. She quickly turned away from the sight as fast as she had seen it and made her way to the drink table to grab two cups then drank them both down. This was going to be a long night._

As she remembered this, Brooke thought, _'So Haley and Jake are together now.' _This caused her to breathe harder and her heart to constrict in her chest. Pain radiated in her chest and spread through her body like a virus. She felt her left arm go numb and her legs become weak and shaky. Brooke was scared; she didn't know what was happening to her. Before she had a chance to scream for help, she collapsed onto the hard tile flooring. Her last thought before slipping into unconsciousness was of Haley; her beautiful face and bright smile but then the scene she had just witnessed clouded her vision and she thought, _'I'm too late…'_

Later that afternoon, Haley knocked on Jake's door and he greeted her with a warm smile, "Hey Hales. Come on in." "I brought food. Hamburgers and fries for us and macaroni and applesauce for the little tyke," she smiled back then set the bag of food on the coffee table then went to Jenny's crib in the far side of the living room. She gazed down at the young child who stared back up at her with her soft honey brown eyes so much like her father's and her happy smile. "Hey Jenny girl. How are you sweetie? Aren't you just so beautiful? Yes you are," Haley cooed as Jenny babbled in response. She tickled the little girl's tummy and Jenny began to giggle loudly. "Can I hold her," Haley asked Jake as she turned to him. He nodded and she gently picked up Jenny then cradled her in her arms.

"Would you like to feed her," Jake asked as he held up a bottle of warm milk. Haley gave him a soft smile, "I'd like that." "Good. While you feed her, I'll go set up dinner in the kitchen," Jake responded as Haley nodded and took the bottle from him. Jake left with the food and Haley started humming as she walked around the room, swaying from side to side, as she fed Jenny.

After a few minutes, Haley said softly to the girl, "You are so lucky Jenny, to have someone that loves you so much. Your father is an amazing guy and I know he will always be there for you. You're so lucky to have him; cherish him for as long as you live and for all you're worth. Me, I don't have parents as amazing as your dad. Mine don't even care about me. Even though I know I have great friends and everything, sometimes I just feel so by myself, so alone. How can I have friends all around me and feel alone?"

Haley began to cry softly and Jake, who had been listening from the entrance to the living room, walked in further and placed his hand on her back. She jumped at his touch and cringed a little that he had heard what she'd said. "You're not alone, Haley. I'm here for you, whatever you need," he said quietly. He hugged her gently, Jenny snuggled in between them, as she cried on his shoulder.

Suddenly, there was a frantic knock on the door and Jake went to answer it, Haley following him with Jenny still in her arms. As soon as Jake opened the door, Nathan took a second to register the scene with Haley holding Jenny in her arms and her tearstained cheeks but she had a smile on her face. "Nathan, what are you doing here," Haley asked. "Brooke's in the hospital. Peyton told me to come get you and Jake; she's there with Luke now," Nathan said, his face crumpled with sadness.

Haley covered her mouth with a hand and uttered softly, "Oh god no…" Haley would have fallen to the floor if she hadn't been holding Jenny, but she felt her knees go weak and Jake held her up for support. "What happened," Jake asked his friend. "I don't know. All Peyton told me was that Brooke collapsed at school this afternoon. She found her and they've been at the hospital ever since. She hasn't told me anything else. I'm heading over there now, I'll give you two a ride," Nathan explained. "I have to get some stuff for Jenny," Jake said. "No Nathan, you go ahead. Jake and I will take my car," Haley said slowly, still in a state of shock. Nathan nodded and said his goodbyes.

After Nathan had left, Haley still stood there with the door wide open, her eyes wide with fright and clutching Jenny close to her chest. Jake was slightly worried that Haley might be hurting his young daughter because she had begun to whimper and cry a little. Jake carefully took her from Haley's grasp and still Haley did not move. He set Jenny down in her crib for a moment and went to console Haley. He put his hands on her shoulders and looked straight into her eyes, which were focused somewhere far off, "Brooke is going to be okay Haley." This shook her out of her daze and she started yelling, "How do you know that Jake? We don't even know what's wrong with her! She could have been hurt or maybe she's sick and didn't tell anybody! I can't lose her Jake! I can't lose her… I love her…" Haley finally collapsed to the floor in tears as sobs wracked her body and she rocked back and forth.

He crouched down beside her and held her, "You aren't going to lose her sweetie. I know Brooke; she's a fighter. The sooner we get to the hospital, the sooner we found out that she's okay." Haley nodded meekly and then helped Jake fix a bag of food, diapers, wipes, and toys for Jenny. They then bundled Jenny up in warm clothes and strapped her car seat into the back of Haley's car. Haley handed her keys to Jake, "I'm a nervous wreck Jake, you drive." He took the keys from her and started the car, driving carefully but quickly to the hospital.

As soon as they reached the emergency room, Haley rushed in and searched for Peyton and Lucas. She finally saw them in a corner with Nathan and she raced over, shouting, "Peyton, where is she? What's wrong with her? Please tell me!" Haley grabbed on to both of Peyton's hands as she looked pleadingly into her friend's eyes, begging for some kind, even just a little bit, of information on the love of her life. Peyton sat both of them down as she spoke softly, tears beginning to rise in her own eyes, "Brooke collapsed at school today and I brought her to the hospital. They did some tests and the doctor says that there was a spike in her heart rate, which caused her to go unconscious. When she fell, she hit her head on the flooring and she has a minor concussion. The doctor said that Brooke has been under extreme stress lately and that is what caused the spike. He also told us that she was dehydrated and that because of the concussion, she might not remember some things. He said that the memory loss could be temporary or permanent; either way, we'll have to wait until she wakes up. She hasn't woken up yet. She's so pale…" Haley stood up immediately and replied in a soft yet firm voice, "I need to see her." Peyton nodded and led her to the ICU, where she slowly opened the door to Brooke's room.

"Can I have a few minutes alone," Haley requested as she stood just a few feet inside the room, staring at Brooke's small form lying on the bed of white sheets, her pale ivory skin almost the same color. "Sure," Peyton said quietly as she closed the door. Once Haley saw that Peyton had left, she closed the blinds on the windows and pulled down the shade on the door so nobody would see. She pulled over a chair to her bedside and then leaned over her and kissed her softly on the forehead and then her mouth. She sat down and took Brooke's left hand in her own then pressed her lips to the back of her hand. "Hey Tigger," Haley said softly, "I'm so sorry I couldn't get here sooner… You need to be strong and come back to us, come back to me. I miss my best friend. I need you Brooke; you're one of the few people that understand me. You can't just leave me hanging here. You need to open those eyes and talk back. Please wake up…" Haley stroked her hair gently and brushed the back of her hand against Brooke's cheek. She then buried her head in the bed and cried.

About an hour later, Haley had dozed off but woke to the gentle squeeze of her hand and quickly looked up. Brooke was moving her head and she moaned in pain. Her eyes fluttered open slightly and she gazed at the person before her. "Who are you," Brooke asked confusedly as she pulled her hand away from Haley. Haley's eyes became as wide as saucers and she quickly stood and backed away from the bed in shock and fright, almost tripping over the chair. Tears welled in her eyes as she looked at her for one split second before running from the room.

Haley ran as fast as she could, desperately searching for the sliding emergency doors. She ran past the waiting room where all her friends sat and they saw her run by, all becoming worried of what had happened. "I'll go talk to her," Jake said, rising from his seat with Jenny in his arms. "I'll go see Brooke," Peyton replied in a shaky voice, hoping that nothing was wrong with her best friend.

Jake found her outside, huddled against a wall of the building as her body shuddered with immense sobs. "Haley, what happened? Is there something wrong with Brooke," Jake asked quietly as he sat down beside her. "She doesn't remember me…" Haley looked up at him with soaked cheeks, "she doesn't remember me, Jake. When she woke up, she asked who I was…" She cried into his shoulder and Jake responded softly, "It might only be temporary." "But what if it's permanent, Jake? What am I going to do? I can't lose her like that… it would kill me…" Jenny, sensing Haley's distress, reached out her arms to the young woman, her small hands barely touching Haley's cheeks.

Haley gently took Jenny from Jake and cradled the little girl in her arms, burying her head in the soft blanket that was wrapped around her. She inhaled Jenny's baby smell and the smell of baby powder and smiled slightly; she had always loved that smell. "You are so lucky that you are little, Jenny. You don't have to experience the troubles and hardships that life can bring you. You make the most of your childhood, little girl, because these days kids have to grow up so fast. Then one day you'll look back and realize how fast your life has passed you by. Live every day to its fullest because you will never have that day back again…" She kissed the baby's forehead and Jenny wrapped her small hand around Haley's index finger. She rocked the small child until her eyes had long since closed.

"You are so great with her," Jake whispered as Haley handed Jenny back over to Jake. However, she woke and began to whimper and cry again. He handed her back to Haley and Jenny settled down immediately. Jake shook his head and smiled softly, "My own daughter doesn't want me. She's only eleven months old and you've already corrupted her." Haley smiled too and shrugged her shoulders slightly, "Sometimes a baby just needs a woman's touch. Maybe she sensed how upset I was and wanted to comfort me. Babies can sense things like that." She looked down at Jenny, whose eyes were beginning to droop closed again, and whispered, "And you did comfort me. Thank you for making me feel better Jenny." She kissed the baby's crown again and Jake replied, "Hey what about me?" "You helped a lot too," she smiled as she laid her head on his shoulder, "thanks." "No thanks needed," Jake responded as he wrapped an arm around her, but then he felt her shiver, "come on, it's cold out here. Let's get inside."

They walked back into the hospital to find everyone in the waiting room with worried expressions on their faces. "How is Brooke," Jake asked. "We don't know, we haven't seen her yet. The doctor is checking on her and he said we can all see her when he's done," Peyton said sadly then looked up at Haley, "why did you run out? You had us so scared about you and that something had happened to Brooke." "She has memory loss, Peyton. She didn't remember me when she woke up…" Haley turned and buried her head in Jake's chest and he wrapped his arms around her. Lucas stood and Jake let go of Haley, allowing him to comfort his best friend. Lucas hugged her and rubbed her back, "I'm sorry… maybe it's only temporary." "That's what Jake said, but what if she doesn't remember us Luke, any of us?" She let that question hang in the air and everyone was silent as they thought of what would happen if the memory loss was permanent.

The doctor appeared in the waiting room and everyone looked expectantly up at him, awaiting the news on their friend. "Ms. Davis is fine. Her vitals look good and if everything goes well tonight, she should be able to go home tomorrow. You can all see her now," the doctor explained as he motioned them to follow. All were too happy about the news to remember to ask about the memory loss. Everybody filed into Brooke's hospital room; Jake and Haley, who was still holding a sleeping Jenny, were the last to enter. When Haley had come in, the memory of when she had last been in here hit her full force and she sucked in a vast amount of air as if it would be her last breath.

_----------------------------------------------------_

_Will Brooke remember the rest of the gang or will she have forgotten them too? Is her memory loss permanent or temporary?_

You will find out in the next chapter of In the Presence of an Angel.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! I'm back with Chapter 10! I am SO glad that you guys are liking this story so much! I really appreciate all of your reviews and they inspire me to keep writing. We left off in the last chapter where Brooke couldn't remember Haley. Will she remember the rest of the gang and is her memory loss temporary or permanent? You will find out in this chapter. As always, please read and review!

P.S. – I turn 18 _**tomorrow!!! **_

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters belong to the WB.

**Rating: **PG to PG-13

P.S. – I know you guys are getting antsy about Brooke and Haley getting together, but I promise it is soon. Most likely within the next five chapters I think. Like I said, most of the time my hands do the writing and there are a few more scenes I want to add in before they actually get together. So please hang on a little longer guys, all things come in good time.

**In the Presence of an Angel **

**Chapter 10**

Brooke surveyed the people in front of her, all of her friends, but one person wasn't there: Haley. She caught a glimpse of auburn brunette hair behind Jake and her heart crumpled at hurting the love of her life so much. Even though it hurt that she was with Jake now, if Haley was happy, that was most important to her. And Jake was a good guy; if she had to choose a guy for Haley, he would be the one. Tears welled in her eyes as she remembered what she had done to her friend and called out to her softly, "Haley, come here." Haley's head instantly shot up at the sound of her name in Brooke's voice and she could see recognition in the other girl's eyes. She carefully handed Jenny over to her father and made small, slow baby steps to Brooke's bedside.

Brooke held her arms outstretched for her to enter them and Haley quickly did so. Brooke held her tight as she stroked her hair and rubbed her back. "I'm so sorry I scared you…" Brooke whispered softly. Haley choked on a sob, the tears she had been holding back finally cascading down her cheeks, while she gripped her tighter. "Ease up Hales, you're killing me here," Brooke joked lightly. Haley pulled back with horror written all over her face and took a few steps away from her. Jenny began to cry and Haley took this as an excuse to get away. "I'll do it," she told Jake as she gathered Jenny and her bag then went to the bathroom to change her diaper. When she came back into the room, she sat in a chair furthest from Brooke's bed, her back to all of them, and held Jenny as she fed the little girl her bottle.

Brooke looked at Jake, who was staring at Haley with a sad smile then gazed at Haley, who was lovingly holding his daughter and feeding her. She fought not to cry again and put a fake smile on her face while pointing between Jake and Haley, "So when did this happen? Was it at the party? Because I saw you two kissing on the dance floor. He's a great catch, Haley. You guys look so good together and you are wonderful with Jenny. I say this should have happened sooner." Both Jake and Haley turned to face her with shocked expressions and Jake replied, "No, we're just friends. We're not dating." "Jake and I are good friends. He's been helping me with some stuff that I've been going through, that's all. I love babies… and ever since my brother died…"

Haley choked up again and covered her face with one of her hands. Lucas walked over to her and crouched down in front of her then gently pulled her hand away and took it in his own. "Oh Hales, I'm so sorry… it's almost the anniversary isn't it," he asked and when she nodded, he responded, "I'm so sorry I didn't remember… Is that why you've been acting the way you have?" She nodded again, only partly lying. "You had a brother," Brooke asked softly.

Haley swallowed hard and then began to explain, "A little baby brother. About three years ago, my mom got pregnant and she had Ryan Adam James. When he was three months old, he died of SIDS, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, in his crib. He'd been sick for a week with a stuffy nose and fever and Mom, she had been home then, had finally got him to sleep. He had rolled onto his stomach during his sleep and with his stuffy nose pressed against the bed sheets… he couldn't breathe and… he-he died…" She hugged Jenny tenderly to her chest and Lucas wrapped his arms around her. "When did he die," Peyton asked in almost a whisper, her eyes red from crying. "It will be the two year anniversary of his death in four days," Haley replied quietly.

"I was such a jerk, Hales. I should have remembered," Lucas said as he looked into her pain-filled eyes. "It's okay, you didn't have to remember. It didn't happen to your family…" Luke interrupted her in a raised voice, "You are my family, Hales! You're my family and my best friend! We've been through a lot of stuff, Haley, alone and together, but we've always, ALWAYS, been there for each other. But lately I haven't been and I wasn't here to help you through this. I'm so sorry Hales. I promise to be there for you from now on. If you ever need to talk, vent, cry, anything, I'll be here for you." Haley only nodded, too emotional to even speak.

"Aww, that was beautiful," Brooke said as she wiped a tear from her cheek, "GROUP HUG!" Her friends laughed slightly at Brooke's perky personality returning and her attempt to lighten the sullen mood that had fallen over the group. Brooke then gestured for everyone to come over, "You guys have to come over here because I'm not allowed out of bed." Haley entered Brooke's inviting arms and buried her head in her neck. Brooke felt a shiver run down her spine at Haley's warm breath on her skin and she could just barely feel her soft lips against her shoulder. Haley could smell the fruity strawberry fragrance of Brooke's shampoo in her hair and her smooth skin against her face. Being in her embrace, it reminded her of how close she had been to losing Brooke and she couldn't fight the tears that had been threatening to fall.

As soon as the group hug ended, Haley excused herself to get some air, claiming she was thirsty and asked if anyone else wanted something to drink. Once she had gotten everybody's orders, barring Brooke's of course for she couldn't have anything other than what the nurses or doctor gave her, she fled to the waiting room. She sank heavily into a chair and buried her face in her hands. The doctor had told them that if Brooke continued to have the spikes in her heart rate, she could get worse and even though the concussion appeared not to have had any effect on her memory, Brooke might still not remember some events or memories of her past. Haley wondered how long these spikes had been happening and how much worse things would get if they did in fact persist. It pained Haley so badly to see Brooke lying there in that hospital bed and it scared her that there might be more trips made to the hospital for that same reason.

Haley hated to see Brooke so pale and weak and she knew that the girl felt helpless in her current state. Brooke was such a strong and vibrant person; to be confined to bed and to feel powerless and dependent on other people even in her delicate condition, Haley knew it was killing her. She knew that Brooke had devised a mask to cover her feelings in front of her friends, but Haley knew better. She remembered the sight of Brooke looking so small, vulnerable, and white as the sheets that covered her body and knew she never wanted to see that again.

Knowing one of her friends might come looking for her soon, she got up and went to the vending machines to retrieve the drinks then returned to Brooke's hospital room. Chairs had been gathered around the bed and all were talking as she entered with the drinks. Each took their own and Haley sat in a chair next to Jake, closest to the head of Brooke's bed, which had been adjusted so she could partially sit up. Haley was quiet for several minutes until she asked, "Brooke, how long have these spikes been going on? Why didn't you tell anybody?"

Brooke lifted her shoulders in a slight shrug then replied, "I didn't know I had them; as far as I know, the one I had today was my first." Nathan inquired, "How did it happen? What caused the spike?" "It was right after second hour and I was walking in the hallway when it felt as if someone had punched me in the chest. I couldn't breathe and it hurt so much. My left arm went numb and my legs felt weak. It kind of felt like I was having a heart attack I guess. That's how I've heard other people describe it," Brooke responded. "I don't really know what caused it. I guess it's because I've been under some stress lately," Brooke lied as she glanced at Haley out of the corner of her eye but quickly averted her gaze.

They all continued to talk for another half an hour when Brooke suddenly laid back and closed her eyes, moaning as she brought a hand to her head. Everyone went on full alert and Haley quickly stood up, placing a hand gently on her arm, "Brooke, what's wrong?" Brooke mumbled incoherent sentences but Haley was able to make out a few words, "…dizzy…pain…head hurts…get nurse…pills…" Haley screamed, "Lucas, go get a nurse NOW! She needs pain pills! Tell the nurse that she's feeling dizzy and her head hurts really badly. Don't just stand there, get your ass moving!" Lucas broke out of his trance and ran from the room to retrieve a nurse. A nurse came in and administered a dose of morphine while everyone else waited on baited breath. A few minutes later, Brooke was a little groggy but she said she was feeling better.

While the nurse had given Brooke the drugs, Haley held tightly onto Brooke's hand, frightened at what had happened and worried. Haley's heart was breaking; to see the love her life experiencing so much pain was killing her. She wished that she could take all of Brooke's pain away and she would take it all on herself just so Brooke wouldn't have to feel any pain. "Haley, I'm already in the hospital for a concussion and a defective heart. I don't need a broken hand too," Brooke joked lightly. Haley quickly let go, but Brooke grabbed her hand back gently into her own as Haley said softly, "You don't have a defective heart, Brooke. It-It's just battered and bruised; it'll heal. As long as you take it easy and follow the doctor's orders. We don't want this to happen again. I was so scared when I heard that you were in the hospital… I don't think I can take this again, I don't think any of us can." Haley looked around the room and all nodded in agreement.

At that moment, the nurse came in again, "I'm sorry, but visiting hours are over. You can all come see Ms. Davis tomorrow. Visiting hours start at eight a.m. Before you leave, the doctor would like to speak with all of you." Everyone hugged Brooke one last time with promises of visits tomorrow between school, work, basketball and cheer practice.

The doctor was waiting for them outside when all exited Brooke's hospital room. "Ms. Davis is in a delicate condition. However, from the looks of it, we will be sending her home tomorrow. She is to be on strict bed rest for the next two days, but after that she can move around a little; no strenuous activity. And of course, she cannot have any stress. As I said before, if these spikes continue to happen, she could get worse. We will give her some very strong pills for the pain, which will make her drowsy and she may experience lightheadedness and upset stomach. Now, since Ms. Davis is in such a condition as this, she will need to be watched at all times. She has not mentioned her parents. Do any of you have a number where I can reach them?" Peyton muttered under her breath, "Don't bother. They don't care anyway." Haley replied to the doctor, "Her parents are on a business trip right now and won't be back for another two weeks. I can take care of her while she is recovering."

The doctor was hesitant for a few moments then responded, "I guess that is fine. We usually don't allow this sort of thing, but under the circumstances, I will permit it." Haley replied with a smile on her face, "Thank you doctor. What time should I come pick her up tomorrow?" "It would be best if you come get her around noon; that way, she should be all cleared to leave," the doctor instructed. "Thanks for taking such good care of our friend," Haley said as she shook the man's hand and the others did too. The doctor left to check on other patients and the others talked for a few minutes before parting ways.

As Jake drove, Haley stared out the window and Jake was worried about her. Haley should be happy that Brooke would be okay and would be going home tomorrow. "You okay," he asked quietly as he glanced between her and the road. She sighed and looked at him with sad eyes, "I know I should be happy that Brooke's going to be okay and that she's coming home, and I am, but I just can't help thinking how close we were…how close I was… to losing her today…" Jake wrapped a free arm around her shoulders, "It's alright… Everything is okay now." "No, everything is not okay," Haley protested, "didn't you hear the doctor? Those spikes could get worse! We don't know how bad they'll get or how long they'll last. What if it's too much for Brooke to take? What if it kills her?"

Jake opened his mouth to reply then closed it again, thinking thoroughly so he wouldn't say anything more to upset Haley. "That won't happen, Hales. Brooke is a strong girl; she'll get through this. And with all of us helping, we'll make sure that Brooke doesn't get stressed out and everything." "But Brooke is stubborn! She won't want anyone to help her and she'll want to get back to her life as fast as she can and she'll go back to drinking and guys and cheerleading and guys… then this will happen all over again! She needs to take it slow!"

He placed his hand on her shoulder, "I know. We will all make sure Brooke takes it easy and that she recovers perfectly. She'll be back to her old self in no time." Haley crossed her arms as she looked down and a few tears escaped from her eyes. "That's what I'm afraid of…" Haley said in a choked voice.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! I am back with Chapter 11! This chapter is mostly filler the following chapters will continue to be fillers up until the big moment, which is coming soon, I promise! I've gotta say that I'm little disappointed in my writing of this chapter, but it's mostly due to my lack of sleep the past week and stress. I had a major paper and presentation last week, finals this week, my grandma has been in the hospital for surgery, and to top it all off, I've had to take over a higher position than mine at work while the person is on vacation. Don't get me wrong, I'm honored that they chose me to do the job, but I'm a little stressed and worried about doing a good job because I am work almost directly under, and right next to the office of, the Senior Vice President of the company. Anyways, even though I think this chapter sucks, I hope you guys like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are the property of the WB.

**Rating: **PG to PG-13

P.S. – One Tree Hill Season 1 DVD comes out _**January 25th!!!! **_

**In the Presence of an Angel **

**Chapter 11**

The next day, Haley arrived at the hospital promptly at eight when visiting hours began and the nurse from the night before greeted her with a tired smile. "She's still out cold and probably won't wake for a couple hours. We gave her some more pain medication around three this morning and she's been asleep ever since," the nurse said. "That's fine. I brought a book and some work with me so I'll just do that until she wakes up," Haley responded as she turned her shoulder a little to show her backpack. The nurse nodded then said, "If you need anything, juice, a muffin or a bagel, let me know." "Thank you," Haley replied as she gave the older woman a smile.

She entered the hospital room and stared at Brooke's sleeping form. She wasn't as pale as yesterday and she had a small smile on her lips. Haley quietly walked over to her bed and sat on the edge, just simply gazing at her. She pushed aside some of Brooke's hair then stroked it; she was amazed at how beautiful Brooke looked even after all that she had experienced yesterday.

Haley sighed and smiled softly at the sight before her. These were the times she loved best; when she could just sit and stare at this amazing and beautiful woman without the fear of being caught watching. She looked so innocent lying there with that peaceful smile and curled up in the fetal position, one of her hands underneath her head and the other wrapped around her own waist. She carefully leaned down and brushed her lips softly against Brooke's then pressed a little harder, needing her touch. After the thought of almost losing her, it seemed that she couldn't get enough of Brooke's touch, her hugs, her hand rubbing her back. She sat there for a few more minutes before she sat down in the chair by the bed and pulled the rolling table in front of her to work on her schoolwork.

It was past eleven when Brooke finally woke and Haley greeted her with a smile, "Hey sleepyhead, how are you feeling?" Brooke lifted herself up into a sitting position after she adjusted the head of the bed and responded in a sleepy, raspy voice that Haley so loved, "Groggy and my head still hurts a little but better than yesterday." "Those pills must have really knocked you out. A plane could have crashed outside and you probably wouldn't have woken up," Haley said as she remembered her kiss that morning then told her, "I dropped one of my textbooks earlier and you didn't even move a muscle." "Wow. So when do I get out of here," Brooke asked. "The doctor has to check you out and give me your medicine then he'll sign your discharge papers and we can go," Haley replied as she put down her book and stood.

"Why would he give you my medication," Brooke inquired confusedly. "You are staying with me for a week, maybe a week and a half, while you recover. You are to be on strict bed rest for the remainder of today and two more days. That means no getting out of bed, walking around, or strenuous activity. After those two days, then you may move around a little bit but still no strenuous activity. Next week we have an appointment with doctor to evaluate your recovery and if you are okay, he'll allow you to go back to school, but there will be no cheerleading for a while," Haley explained. "No getting out of bed? No walking around? Wait, NO CHEERLEADING," Brooke exclaimed as she bolted upright then quickly clutched her head.

Haley rushed over and gently pushed her back down onto the bed, "And another requirement to your recovery is that you have NO stress. Peyton is going to run the squad in the mean time, so you don't have to worry about Teresa taking over or the team getting out of practice. And I'm telling you here and now Brooke Davis, if you give me any trouble or if I catch you out of bed when you're not supposed to be, so help me god I swear I will tie you to the bed," Haley warned in a stern tone as she pointed to her. "Ooh, bondage fun," Brooke let slip as she thought of Haley's last words, not realizing she had said them out loud. Brooke then burst out laughing to cover up her nervousness and after Haley had become a bright shade of red, she started laughing too.

After they had calmed down a bit, Brooke said, "Haley, you can't miss a whole week or week and a half of school. Especially on little ole me. I'll be fine by myself." "Did you not just hear me, Brooke," Haley responded loudly, "you aren't allowed to get out of bed by yourself for two days! Then only very little after that! They gave me the medication because you aren't allowed to self-medicate with these kinds of pills; they're too strong. Why can't you just accept someone's help when you need it? I'm trying to help you here and all you're doing is pushing me away!"

"I'm sorry, okay! I grew up without parents who even gave a damn about me so I'm used to being alone, doing stuff on my own. I have a hard time letting people in because every time I do, I get burned or they leave." Brooke began to cry openly and Haley gently hugged her, "I won't leave you Brooke, you're my best friend. When you stayed at my house last week, you showed me a side of yourself that I have never seen before and you told me things that I never knew about you. You let me in, Brooke, and I didn't leave you." Brooke thought to herself as she hugged Haley back, _'You left me last week when I stayed at your house. You left me when you distanced yourself from me those last few days…' _

They were interrupted when someone cleared their throat behind them and both turned to see who it was. The nurse said, "Good morning Ms. Davis, it looks like you're feeling better. Are you ready to go home today?" Brooke smiled and gave her a thumbs-up sign on both of her hands, "You betcha! No offense, but I hate hospitals." The nurse chuckled and walked over to them saying to them in a hushed voice, "I do too, but as long as I'm not a patient then I'm fine. There may be sad times and good times, but I still love my job because I get to help people and that is one of the most rewarding things for me." Both the young girls smiled at her and the woman responded, "Now, I'm going to check you over and make sure you're okay to leave. After I'm done with the examination, I will take that catheter out." Brooke replied sheepishly, "This may be a stupid question, but what is a catheter? As I said before, I hate hospitals so I try to steer clear of them as much as I can."

"A catheter is a needle connected to a tube that goes into your bladder and it drains your bladder of the urine into a bag since you aren't able to get out of bed," the nurse explained and Haley chuckled in amusement as she watched Brooke's expression change from confused to horrified then to disgusted. "You stuck a needle in me?! I hate needles! Ugh, I shouldn't have asked…" "You didn't feel a thing; you were unconscious when we did it. Now, I must examine you," the nurse turned to Haley, "I'm sorry, but I have to ask you to leave. Hospital procedure." Haley nodded and gave Brooke's hand one last squeeze before exiting the room.

"First I'm going to check your eyes, then your ears," the nurse explained as she pulled a small flashlight the size of a pen from her pocket and held open the lids of Brooke's eyes as she flashed the little light in them and instructed, "open your eyes wide." Once she was done, she wrote on her chart and said, "Equal and reactive." "That's good, right," Brooke asked. The nurse nodded, "Now, your ears." She stuck the otoscope in Brooke's ears and checked them, "All clear. How is your head this morning, Ms. Davis?" "It still hurts a little and I get dizzy when I sit up too fast, but other than that, I think it's okay," Brooke replied. The nurse nodded and wrote some things down on the chart.

"She loves you a lot, you know, your girlfriend. She was here at eight this morning when visiting hours started and has never left your side. I can see that she cares a lot about you and you do too from the way you two react and talk to each other. You two make a great couple. Not many people find a love like that so young; you do everything in your power to hold on to it," the nurse smiled softly at the young girl as she nodded towards the door in which Haley had exited.

Brooke had tried to protest, that Haley wasn't her girlfriend, but decided that she wanted to hang onto that wonderful thought for just a moment longer. "Thank you and I will," Brooke responded sincerely. "Well Ms. Davis, you are all cleared to go. I just have to get the doctor to sign your discharge papers then I will give your medication to your girlfriend and then you can leave, okay? I'm sure your girlfriend has explained to you what you need to do, but I cannot stress enough to you the importance of adequate bed rest, both confined and limited after experiencing something like this. These heart spikes are like tiny strokes or very small heart attacks that can worsen if they continue. So you need to be careful; confined bed rest for two days, then limited walking distances after that, lots of liquids, and NO stress. Don't think about school or anything that might excite or anger you too much. Just relax and take it easy okay?" Brooke only nodded, the nurse's words somewhat a jumble as one word spun around in her head over and over, _'Girlfriend…girlfriend…girlfriend…'_

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After receiving the instructions and medication from the doctor and nurse, Haley returned to Brooke's hospital room. She saw that Brooke was sitting on the edge of the bed and trying to get down. Haley raced to her side, "Brooke, you shouldn't be out of bed! You're not supposed to strain yourself!" "Chill Hales, I'm taking it easy. I just need to go to the bathroom before we leave," she replied nonchalantly. "What part of STRICT BED REST and NO WALKING for two days do you not understand," Haley yelled in frustration and fright. She didn't want Brooke to have another spike and collapse again.

"Then how the hell will I go to the bathroom," Brooke asked, a slightly mad and confused expression on her face. "I'm supposed to either carry you or use the wheelchair," Haley replied. "I don't want to use a damn wheelchair," Brooke protested as she folded her arms across her chest. "Then I guess I'll have to carry you," Haley responded as she placed an arm under Brooke's knees and her other arm behind her back. She carefully picked her up and brought her to the bathroom and sat her on the toilet. "You gonna pull my pants down too or can I do that by myself," Brooke replied bitterly. "Brooke…" Haley started with a sigh.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? I'm used to doing things on my own. I don't like to be dependent on other people because, in the end, they always let me down or leave…" "We talked about this before…" Haley placed her hands on the sides of Brooke's shoulders, "if you need something... anything… you can always come to me and I promise I won't leave you." Brooke lowered her head to stare at her hands, her long brunette hair shielding her face from view, and nodded. "Can you please go," she asked quietly then said a little louder, "I want to get out of here as soon as possible." "Call me when you're done and I'll carry you out," Haley responded before closing the door behind her.

Once Haley had returned Brooke to the bed in an upright position, like she had found her when she first entered the room, she pulled some clothes out of a bag she had brought with her. "I got some nice and comfy sweats for you to wear out of this joint," Haley said as she raised the clothes in question for Brooke to see. "Great, I can't wait to get out of this," she replied as she pointed to the gown she was wearing, "if there's one thing I hate most at hospitals besides needles, it's these gowns. They're so airy and revealing… and drab." She said this last sentence with a disgusted expression and distaste in her voice. Haley smirked, "I'm sure you've been in more revealing clothes… and situations…than this."

"True," Brooke amended then replied, "but I don't like it when people can just walk in here at all times of the day and night. You never know who it could be. It could be some geriatric old man with Alzheimer's wandering around the halls and happens to come in here then walks out with a smile and a hard-on with one glance at my hiney. I swear, even just a little bit of skin will make one of those old guys happy down below." Haley burst out laughing then it turned into an uncomfortable chuckle. Brooke noticed this and said, "Oh, sorry about my little schpeel there. I didn't mean to upset you." "Um, it's okay. Get dressed," she handed the sweats over and turned her back to Brooke so she could dress in privacy. "Oh wow, I get to dress all by myself! I don't feel like I'm two years old anymore," Brooke said sarcastically in a cheerful voice. Haley just rolled her eyes.

"Ow," Brooke said in a strained voice and Haley quickly turned around. "Are you okay," she asked. She noticed that Brooke was having trouble pulling on the sweatshirt and cursed herself for not thinking clearly. "Sorry, I probably should have brought a button down shirt. Here, let me help you. Did you hurt your shoulder or your arm?" Brooke replied as Haley pulled the shirt down over her head first then proceeded to slide each arm carefully into its sleeve. "My left arm still feels a little weird from being numb yesterday but when I lifted my arms to pull on the shirt, my chest tightened up a bit and it hurt a little."

Brooke finished getting dressed and Haley gathered both of their belongings together and placed them next to the door. "You ready to go," Haley asked. Brooke flashed her a smile and a thumbs up sign on both hands, "I was born ready. Now let's hit the road!" Haley laughed and walked over to her, "Okay, I have to pick you up and put you in the wheelchair. Yes, I know you hate them, but it's hospital policy that you be escorted out of the hospital in one." Brooke grumbled something incoherent as Haley once again picked her up and carried her over to the wheelchair then gently set her in it.

Just as they were about to leave, the nurse entered, "Oh, you guys are already to leave? I was just going to help Ms. Davis here get dressed, but I see you've already done that." She gave Haley a warm smile then turned back to Brooke, "You take it easy, okay Ms. Davis?" Brooke nodded then shook the older woman's hand, "It's Brooke. Thank you for taking care of me. What's your name again?" "Tonya, but everybody calls me Toni. Now, I don't want to see you back here for another one of these spikes; only for your checkup next week. Got it?" The brunette nodded, "Thanks again Toni." "It was my pleasure," Toni patted Brooke on the shoulder then focused her attention on Haley, "you take good care of her." The woman said it more as a statement rather than a question, but Haley took it as both the same, "Of course. Even if I have to tie her to a bed for two days, I'll make sure she stays on strict bed rest." Toni laughed, "Well, maybe I'll see you next week when you come in. Until then, I guess it's goodbye." "Bye," both said as Haley grabbed their bags and pushed Brooke out of the hospital room in the wheelchair.

Once they got to the car, Haley gently sat Brooke in the seat and helped her get her seatbelt on as her arms still hurt. They drove home and as Haley carried Brooke to her bedroom, Brooke looked around her at the house and stated, "I missed this house. It's so homey unlike mine. Sometimes I wish I lived in a smaller house like yours." "Living in this 'homey' house isn't all that it's cracked up to be. To me, a house can only be a home with a family and as you can see, there's no family living here," Haley said sadly as they reached her room.

As soon as Haley laid her down, she began hovering over her and fussing like a mother hen, "Are you comfortable? Do you need anything? Something to eat or drink?" Brooke shook her head, "No, I'm fine. I'm kind of tired, though. I think I'm going to take a nap." "Okay, get some rest," Haley replied quietly as Brooke's eyes had begun to droop closed. Brooke reached out and softly grabbed her hand, whispering sleepily, "Will you lay with me?" Haley nodded and climbed under the covers beside her. Brooke wrapped her arms around Haley's waist and rested her head on Haley's shoulder. "Thank you for taking care of me," Brooke mumbled quietly as she gave Haley a light squeeze and then drifted off to sleep, the pills she'd taken at the hospital finally taking effect. Haley lightly brushed her lips against Brooke's forehead as she pushed some of the hair that had fallen away from Brooke's face. "I'd do anything for you…" Haley whispered quietly to her as she laid her head back against the pillows and closed her eyes.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! I'm back with Chapter 12! Sorry I didn't update sooner, it's just been a crazy week with finals and work and I had a case of writer's block for this story. I also had to help around the house, put up the Christmas tree and cater to my parents because they couldn't get off their lazy asses and do things for themselves. As you can see, I got off of being ground because otherwise, I wouldn't be posting another chapter right now. Boy am I glad to have the computer back. Two weeks without it and no way to write the stories (because I strictly write them on the computer, I don't have hard copies in notebooks or anything like that.) Okay, so I know this chapter is very short and BEYOND sucky! I know it, you'll know it after you read it, so just go ahead and admit it! If you hate it, tell me. It still isn't going to change the chapter. You do have something to look forward to though. I am planning on making the next chapter have the 'Big moment' so you can be happy about that. And for those who asked, yes, I will be continuing this story after they get together. Okay, I've said enough now. Here's Chapter 12 of In the Presence of an Angel! I hope you guys like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **PG to PG-13

**In the Presence of an Angel **

**Chapter 12**

Two days later, Brooke was still confined to bed and she tried not to call Haley for every little thing she thought she needed. She hated feeling so helpless and she was itching to get out of bed, but knew Haley would kill her if she did. She was tired of sleeping, tired of sitting there, and just plain tired of being tired. Haley had provided her with things to do; books, homework, word searches, and crossword puzzles, but she had never been good at those.

Brooke sighed; she was bored. Haley hadn't been up to see her in over an hour; maybe she had decided to get some sleep herself. It seemed that ever since Brooke had left the hospital and come to Haley's house, Haley hadn't gotten even a minute of sleep. Although she could have slept while Brooke was knocked out from the pills, Brooke could tell that it was taking a toll on her. Haley had acquired dark circles under her puffy red eyes and her voice lacked its usual cheerfulness.

Brooke carefully got out of bed with painstaking slowness, standing on shaky legs. Using solid structures to grip onto as she took baby steps out of the bedroom and down the hall, she searched for Haley in all the rooms but couldn't find her. She looked outside and saw that Haley's car was still here. So where was Haley?

Brooke went to the back door and opened it to get some fresh air; that's where she found Haley. The girl was sitting on the bench swing sideways with her legs curled tight to her chest as she looked out into the expanse of the backyard, tears trickling down her cheeks. Haley was so preoccupied that she didn't notice Brooke standing beside her. "Haley, are you okay," Brooke asked tentatively then cursed herself silently. Of course she wasn't okay, she was crying.

Haley whipped her head around at the sound of Brooke's voice and quickly wiped the tears away then said loudly, "Brooke! What are you doing out of bed? You're still supposed to be on strict bed rest until tomorrow!" Brooke fumbled with her hands and replied nervously, not liking the pissed look Haley was glaring her way, "I-I was bored and-and you hadn't come to check on me in over an hour. I wanted to see if you were alright. You've hardly slept since I came home from the hospital and you've got dark circles under your eyes. You need to get some sleep. You can't watch me 24/7; you're running yourself ragged." Brooke smiled inwardly at a thought, _'I called Haley's house 'home'. Her house is home to me…'_ "I'm fine," Haley responded a little coldly then said in a slightly softer tone, "You're the one that needs taking care of, not me." "You were crying, Haley! If that isn't a sign that you need to be taken care of, then I don't know what is," Brooke exclaimed.

"I was just remembering memories of my brother," Haley said sadly as she buried her head in her knees. A shocked expression appeared on Brooke's face; she had forgotten about that; the anniversary of Haley's brother's death was tomorrow. She wrapped her arms around Haley's body and whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry… I forgot that it was tomorrow…"

"It's okay," Haley pulled away, "now let's get you back to bed." She stood and began to scoop her up, but Brooke shook her head, "I don't want to go back to bed. Can we watch a movie on the couch?" Haley nodded and tried to pick her up again, but Brooke wouldn't budge. "No, I want to walk," Brooke said. "Brooke…" Haley began to protest, but Brooke gave her a sad puppy look and a whiny "please…" She nearly melted with that look and all her organs became jelly. "Alright, but let me help you. Put your arm around my shoulders." Haley wrapped an arm around Brooke's waist and they slowly made their way back into the house and to the couch where Haley carefully lowered her onto it.

"What movie do you want to watch," she asked as she walked over to the video cabinet. "Hmm, how about Bring It On Again? I love that Marni chick; she's so neurotic and bitchy. Sometimes I wonder if me and the other cheerleaders are ever like that." "You guys can be sometimes," Haley said a little reservedly, "but some are like that by nature and others just act like that to fill the cheerleader stereotype so they won't see the real person inside." She smiled softly at Brooke, remembering the night Brooke had opened up to her and told her things about herself that she had never known. Brooke smiled back at her.

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The next day, Haley entered her bedroom where Brooke was currently reading and patted her leg. Come on, I'll help you get dressed. We need to go," she said sadly. Brooke knew not to protest and carefully stood while Haley got out some clothes for her. Once she was dressed, Haley grabbed their coats and purses then her keys and they left. On the way, they stopped at a florist where Haley picked out a beautiful bouquet of assorted flowers.

They finally reached their destination half an hour later; the cemetery. Haley drove past rows and rows of headstones and Brooke began to feel a little creeped out. Once they parked, Haley helped Brooke out of the car and carefully led her up a hill that had a tall oak residing on top. "Wait here, I'll come get you when I'm ready," she stated. She then walked down the other side of the hill and was a few feet away from it before she collapsed to her knees in front of a small marble headstone.

Haley got down on her knees and carefully laid the flowers on the ground of her brother's grave. She slowly traced the engraving of his name with an index finger before she burst into tears. "Hey little brother," she said, "I wish you were here… So much is going on in my life right now and I'm not sure how to handle all of it… I wish I had someone here to talk to…" She felt the wind pick up and her hair drift out as it blew away from her face. "Ryan," she asked in a whisper as she looked up into the air. As if to answer her, the wind blew fiercely again for a moment before settling down to a gentle breeze once more. "Oh Ry, I miss you so much… I need your help, I need some advice… I don't know what to do about Brooke, I love her a lot, you know? But I can't tell her how I feel because she doesn't feel the same way…" She knew it was kind of foolish to ask her three-year-old brother, dead or not, for advice but she had no one else to talk to about this besides Jake.

Lucas appeared beside Brooke and he stared at Haley crouched on the ground crying; he too held flowers in his hand. "How's she been doing," he asked quietly, his gaze never faltering from Haley. "She's been crying a lot and a little withdrawn. I don't think she's gotten any sleep since I came home from the hospital with her," Brooke replied sadly. "I'm going to go see her," he stated as he began to make his way down towards Haley. Brooke watched as Lucas crouched down beside her and took her in his arms; she wished that she could be the one comforting Haley. After a few minutes of words spoken between the two, Lucas slowly pulled away. Haley pressed her hand to her lips then placed it on her brother's headstone before wiping her eyes and standing, beginning to climb back up the hill while Lucas paid his respects.

"Hey Ryan, it's Lucas," he began, "a lot has gone on this year, let me tell you. I joined the school basketball team and I started dating this wonderful cheerleader named Peyton; we've been together for almost six months now. You would like her. Your sister is one amazing girl, you know that? Remember Nathan? I told you about him, didn't I? Well, he's my half-brother and for the longest time I hated him because he got the dad and I didn't. But I realize now that I'm the one who lucked out; I had Keith as my dad and he's the best father I could ever ask for. And Haley, she started tutoring Nathan behind my back. I was beyond angry when I found out because at that time, he had been my enemy ever since Mom told me about him. Haley saw something in Nathan that others didn't and eventually she started to change him, he started showing a different side of himself and he and Haley became friends. I tried to get along with him for Haley's sake, but then the big fight happened and once I realized that she wasn't sleeping with him, me and Nathan made up. We're going to try to be friends first then maybe sometime in the future, we can be brothers. Haley needs your help Ry, I've tried helping her but she just pushes me away. I don't know what's going on with her and when I ask her, she just says it's because of you, this time of year. I know better, there's something else bothering her. Please give her the guidance she needs…"

Haley waited with Brooke silently, unmoving, as Lucas finished talking to her brother. When she saw him stand up and make his way towards them, she took Brooke's hand in her own and began to walk down the hill. The three met in the middle of the incline and Haley said quietly to Luke, "We'll be back in a few minutes." He nodded as she and Brooke continued on down the hill.

Both girls knelt near the headstone and Haley brushed a hand against the smooth marble then looked up into the expanse of the gray sky. "Hey Ry," she said, "I've brought someone for you to meet. This is Brooke; she's my best friend besides Luke." The wind began to shift and pick up again, causing their hair to twist and turn to its discretion. "Haley, I know this sounds kind of weird considering I never really knew him, but could I be alone to talk for a little bit," Brooke asked. Haley gave her a small smile and nodded before rejoining Lucas.

"Hey Ryan, this is Brooke. I know that I never met you or knew you, but I still feel like I know you somehow. She misses you a lot, you know. I love her so much Ryan, but I'm scared. And Haley doesn't even like me like that… She's gone through a lot these past few weeks Ry, and I know she needs your help. Please help her with whatever she's going through because no matter how hard I try, she won't let me in. Sure, she tells me things, but I can tell there's something she's hiding from people, not just me. Please help her," Brooke requested as she placed her hand to the marble rock.

Once they had gotten home, they sat silently for a while with Haley crying as Brooke hugged her. After about an hour, Haley had finally drifted off into slumber. Brooke carefully picked her up and carried her to the bedroom and kissing her softly on the forehead before slipping under the covers beside her.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated In the Presence of an Angel and The Sweetest Sin in like almost a whole month. The reasons I didn't were that I got grounded from the computer for a week, then I went on Christmas vacation to my grandmother's where I didn't have my stories or an internet connection. Then school started and I was trying to adjust to my new classes and everything. Then last week I had a big project due for one of my new classes. Whoever heard of a major assignment the second week of school? Anyways, I wanted to make this chapter really good for all of you since it's supposed to be the 'defining moment' of the story and it's a little longer than the other chapters have been lately. I really hope you like this chapter. I'm hoping to have The Sweetest Sin updated by Wednesday, but I'm not sure. I have the day off of school and work tomorrow so I will spend most of the day writing that chapter. Well anyways, I hope you all like this chapter and I hope it was worth the long wait! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.  
**  
Rating: **PG to PG-13

**In the Presence of an Angel**

**Chapter 13**

The next day, Lucas and Peyton were over visiting the two girls to see how they were doing. Lucas and Haley were in the kitchen making lunch while Brooke and Peyton were talking in the living room. "So, how is the Cheer Nazi," Lucas asked, grabbing a cherry tomato and popping it in his mouth. "I heard that," Brooke yelled from the other room, "I may be the Cheer Nazi, but Haley is the Nurse Nazi! I'm allowed to walk around a little bit but she won't even let me get off this damn couch or out of bed! The only improvement is that I can dress myself now and go to the bathroom without her helping me!" All of them laughed then Haley brought in the sandwiches and set them in front of Peyton and Lucas. She handed Brooke's plate to her and said in a firm voice, "Eat. All of it." Brooke grudgingly took it from her then turned to the blonde couple, "See what I mean?" "Don't worry, her bark is worse than her bite. Most of the time," he laughed again then stopped at the angry stare Haley was giving him, "but then again, her glares, like the one she is giving me right now, are pretty powerful." After glaring at him for a few more seconds, Haley turned to Brooke, "You need to get your strength back and you've hardly been eating. You won't get your strength back if you don't eat." "Maybe I would get my strength back if you'd let me walk around a little," Brooke replied a little bitterly.

"You won't have any strength to walk if you don't eat," Haley returned. Brooke glared at her irritatedly for a few long seconds before picking up her sandwich and shoving part of it in her mouth, "Happy now?" "It's a start," Haley replied. Peyton and Lucas just looked at each other and began to laugh. Brooke glared at them crossly, "It's not funny. You try having the Nurse Nazi riding your ass 24/7, and I have to be here for a whole WEEK! Maybe more!" "Well if you really feel that way, maybe I'll make you go stay with Peyton," Haley responded a little coldly, but the other three did not notice this. She had tried so hard to keep her feelings concealed but she was becoming frustrated and it was beginning to show in her attitude. "Hell no, I don't want to listen to her whining and complaining all day," Peyton responded. "I don't want to stay with her," Brooke exclaimed, "no offense Peyton, but you have bad taste in music. Plus there's nothing to do in her house." "And there is here," Lucas asked with a laugh. "There's movies, games, and books; lots of stuff to do," Brooke smiled up at Haley. Lucas and Peyton began laughing again and he managed to get out through gasps of air, "You? Books? I never thought I would see the day where books and Brooke Davis would be used in the same sentence."

Haley saw the hurt expression flash across Brooke's face, the tears she was trying hard not to let go, and instantly became protective and mad at the two, "Brooke's tired and she should get some rest. You should go." Haley knew how Brooke was feeling; how hurt she was that her own friends didn't know some things about her, the secret things that only friends should know. Both the blondes stood and Lucas grinned, "You're right Brooke; she is one hell of a Nurse Nazi. I feel sorry for you. You know I would let you stay at my house but my mom doesn't think it's such a good idea for me to have girls over, especially when she's not home. You never know what she might walk in on." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and smirked. Brooke shut her eyes tightly and covered her ears, shaking her head, "Eww! Bad image! Bad mental image!"

He placed both his hands over his heart and pouted with his puppy dog face, "Aww, that hurts Brooke! I don't get you all hot and bothered anymore? I didn't know the thought of me repulsed you Brooke. I thought I was your best." "Luke," Peyton shouted in shock. Brooke acquired a disgusted expression on her face, "Oh please, don't make me hurl. I never got all that 'hot and bothered' with you. It was always a chore; I'd just lay there while you performed your 'duties'-" "Hey!" Lucas shouted in protest, "don't lie Brooke, what about those times I had you screaming my name, huh? You didn't feel anything then?" "Nope, faked it," Brooke responded, smiling sweetly at him. "What about the time in the car," he asked. "Faked it," she replied. "The hot tub?" "Faked it," she answered in a sing-song voice as she smiled at him, laughter in her brown eyes.

Both Haley and Peyton sat in chairs as they watched on in amusement at their little feud, similar fights having happened before. However, Haley was beginning to become uncomfortable with the topic at hand. Sure, it had bothered her a little the other times, because of the nature of the conversation, but now even more so after discovering her feelings for the brunette standing before her. It was starting to become all too much for her. She quietly stood from the couch and retreated to her bedroom for peace.

Back out in the living room, Peyton laughed as she shouted, "Guys! I don't want to hear about your past sexual escapades together! She's my best friend and you're my boyfriend!" Lucas went over to her and rubbed her arms, "Sorry Peyt. I can't help it if she gets me bothered. Just bothered, not hot and bothered. And by bothered, I mean annoyed," he shot Brooke a playful grin and she stuck her tongue out. "Come on now, stop acting like children. Wait, how old are you two again," Peyton inquired as she chuckled. Lucas whispered in her ear, but it was loud enough for Brooke to hear, "I've been a bad little boy. I might need some punishing…" "Lucas! Get out of Haley's house before you start doing it on her couch," Brooke yelled, then looked around, "hey, where's Haley?"

"I saw her leave a few minutes ago. She probably just went to the bathroom," Peyton replied. "I'll be right back," Brooke said as she made her way towards Haley's room. She opened the door silently and saw Haley crying on her bed, her back to her. She left as quietly as she came and walked back into the living room. "Could you guys go home please? Haley's finally resting and I don't want to wake her; she's hardly slept for days because she's been taking care of me," she requested. "Sure Brookie, we'll see you later. Tell Haley thanks for having us over," the curly haired blonde replied as she hugged her friend, "you take it easy, okay? Don't worry about a thing; just focus on getting better." "I will," Brooke replied with a forced smile. She was becoming worried about Haley as questions ran through her mind. Why was Haley crying? What was she crying about? It was then she realized that it had only been yesterday when they visited her brother's grave. How could she have been so stupid to forget about that? She silently berated herself in her mind. Lucas and Brooke exchanged their goodbyes and the couple left.

She quietly walked back into the bedroom to find Haley still crying. Brooke gently sat down on the bed behind her and wrapped her arms around Haley's waist, laying her head on the back of Haley's neck. She felt Haley stiffen at her touch, but she only hugged her tighter. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "You didn't do anything," Haley whispered back. "I'm sorry you lost your brother. I would have liked to have met him. I know he is so proud of you," Brooke said, tears shining in her eyes as Haley turned to her. "You really think so," she asked hopefully in a soft voice. Brooke nodded and Haley buried her head in her chest, beginning to cry a little more forcefully, "T-Thank you." Brooke stroked her hair and rubbed her back, murmuring soft words in her ear, "Sh, it's okay." Haley wrapped her own arms around Brooke's waist as she laid her head on Brooke's left breast, burying her nose into it, taking in her sweet scent. Brooke inwardly groaned and closed her eyes at the pleasurable feeling she had caused. Haley began to lightly run her fingernails over Brooke's back in long strokes. This, along with Haley's warm, erratic breaths on her breast, caused Brooke to go almost insane with longing.

A few minutes later, Haley finally pulled away and looked into Brooke's eyes, "Thank you for being here for me. You don't know how much it means to me. I'm really tired now. I think I'm going to take a nap." Brooke nodded and started to get off the bed and walk towards the door, but was stopped by Haley's voice, "Brooke?" "Yeah," she responded, turning around. "Would you lay with me? I really need someone right now," Haley replied, the vulnerability showing in her brown eyes. Brooke gave her a small smile then crawled in beside her. Haley turned to face her as she laid down and wrapped her arms around Brooke's body and laid her head in the crook of Brooke's neck.

Hours passed and the two were still sleeping, both moving and mumbling in their sleep. They were dreaming, but more specifically, they were dreaming of each other.

_Haley's Dream_

_Brooke pushed a few strands of hair away from Haley's face and stared deeply into her soulful brown eyes for several long, indeterminable minutes. She could get lost in those eyes. The palm of Brooke's hand softly caressed Haley's cheek before she gently grabbed her chin and pulled her face forward, close to hers. Haley's breath quickened and her eyelids fluttered up and down in anticipation. Brooke gave her one of those deeply dimpled smiles before closing her eyes and tenderly pressing her lips to Haley's. Haley's body trembled at the shiver of pleasure that coursed down her spine and she deepened the kiss. She placed one hand behind Brooke's head and wrapped her other arm around Brooke's back and part of her upper torso. They began to kiss more passionately and Haley started a trail from Brooke's lips across her jaw then down her neck, sucking at the sensitive skin there. Brooke moaned in satisfaction as she let Haley continue her ministrations for a few more minutes before she placed both her hands on Haley's cheeks and pulled her back up to meet her lips again…_

_Brooke's Dream _

_Haley cupped Brooke's cheek and lightly stroked it before wrapping her arms around her neck and laying back on the bed, pulling Brooke on top of her. Brooke smiled and kissed Haley's nose, which caused her to giggle. Haley then pulled her down to meet her lips in a hard, passionate kiss. When they parted, Brooke tenderly pressed her lips to Haley's closed eyelids then placed another soft kiss on Haley's mouth. Haley began to run her hands up and down the sides of her body then started to nibble on her earlobe. Brooke moaned in pleasure as she too ran her hands along Haley's body then brought them up to the front of Haley's shirt, slowly unbuttoning it. As she got lower, Brooke began to kiss down from her neck to her chest, her breasts, then down her stomach. Haley's chest and stomach heaved up and down fast in arousal as she groaned, running her hands through Brooke's hair. Brooke wrapped her arms around Haley's back and fiddled with the clasp of her bra then unsnapped it and pulled it off, tossing it to the floor. Before Brooke could do anything more, Haley guided her up to her lips, pressing hard against them…_

Both were so into their dreams that they felt like their dreams were becoming all too real. Haley slowly opened her eyes and instantly became alarmed, quickly pulling away from Brooke's lips, which caused the other girl to awaken as well. Haley scrambled off the bed and huddled in a corner, crying, with her back to Brooke. She had kissed Brooke and now Brooke knew how she felt. She waited for the words that would break her heart. The words that would tell her that Brooke didn't like her, that she was disgusted at the thought of them being together. "Hales, I am so, so sorry," Brooke told her, a painful expression at hurting the girl she loved. She couldn't believe that she'd kissed Haley in her state of unconsciousness. She had tried so hard to conceal her feelings from the upset girl in front of her. Haley felt weak in the knees from the warring emotions she felt so she closed her eyes so she wouldn't look at Brooke and staggered over to the bed, collapsing to a sitting position on the edge of it. "It was a mistake, I know," she replied sadly, wiping her face of the tears. When Brooke had looked into Haley's frightened eyes, saw the vulnerability they held, it was if a tidal wave of memories came rushing back into her mind. An image of the same expression and puffy, tearstained face flashed in front of her eyes and she recognized it as one similar to the one she had seen on Haley's face in the bedroom of Nathan's beach house the night of the party. She tried desperately to recall what had caused that horrible expression on Haley's face, but as she tried to remember, another scene appeared in her mind.

_She and Haley were on her bed, both running their hands along the sides of each other's bodies and down the other's back as they pressed their mouths together in both hard and soft kisses. When Brooke pressed forward into her more, Haley leaned back to accommodate her and placed her hand behind Brooke's head to guide her to her lips again. _

As the scene played out in Brooke's head, she also remembered the day after the party, waking up with a nasty hangover in her bedroom at her beach house and the unruly, messy state of her dress and bed that morning. Brooke's eyes widened to nearly the size of golf balls as she pieced all these together. She too began to feel weak in the knees at the realization that Haley did like her, as more than friends. A soft smile played on her lips for a moment then it returned to its former frown. If Haley liked her, then why was she so upset at kissing her? Brooke mentally berated herself for being so stupid. Haley was upset because she thought that Brooke didn't feel the same way.

Brooke gently sat down beside Haley and placed her hand softly on top of Haley's right one, curling her fingers between Haley's. Brooke squeezed her hand lightly and gazed at her with a small smile, "No it wasn't." Haley quickly looked up at her, her breath catching in her throat, not sure if she'd heard right. "What," she asked quietly. "It wasn't a mistake," Brooke responded in almost a whisper, "why didn't you tell me about the night of the party?" The frightened look reappeared on Haley's face for a few minutes before she sighed defeatedly and responded, "I-I thought you wouldn't remember that night because you were so drunk, and I was too, but I didn't have as much as you. I was hoping to you wouldn't remember because I thought you didn't like me… that way. I was afraid that we might not be friends anymore if you found out and I didn't want that, to not be friends with you." "I don't want to be friends anymore," Brooke replied. Tears welled in Haley's eyes as she quickly stood from the bed, "O-Okay, I-I understand…" Haley began to walk out of the room but Brooke got up and rushed after her, gently but firmly grabbing her arm, "Hales, wait… I have a question…" "What," Haley replied in a choked tone, her head hung and her back to Brooke. "Can I kiss you," Brooke inquired with soft grin. Haley looked up at her with tearstained cheeks, saw her expression, and then more tears cascaded down from her eyes as she gave Brooke a small smile and nodded.

Brooke gently cupped Haley's face in her hands as she brought her face closer to Haley's, their lips meeting in a light, tender kiss. The kiss seemed to last forever, everything else around them blurring and fading to black where only the two of them remained. Brooke pulled back smiling and Haley sniffled as she smiled too. "I have another question," Brooke said. "What," Haley replied, looking at her a little in confusion. Brooke smiled even more, "Can I kiss you again?" Haley once again nodded her head but this time was the first to initiate the kiss, pressing her warm lips to Brooke's almost forcefully. When they parted, Brooke responded, "I have another question." Haley rolled her eyes as she grinned, "You aren't going to ask me if you can kiss me again are you?" Haley watched as Brooke's expression turned apprehensive, maybe even a little scared. "Well, it's rather something I need to say really," she replied meekly and she saw Haley raise an eyebrow to continue, "I know this all just came out in the open, but I've been feeling this for quite a while. I know it might scare you, and frankly, it scares me too that I could feel so much for one person in such a short amount of time, but I do. What I want to tell you is that… Haley… I-I love you." Tears resurfaced in her eyes as she stared up at Brooke and opened her mouth to respond but couldn't, too emotional to even speak.

Haley closed her mouth, trying to come up with an idea of how to tell her how she felt in her own way. Her eyes moved from side to side, searching Brooke's face for the words she willed to come to her. A pain-stricken expression appeared on Brooke's face and she began to turn away. Haley panicked, not wanting her to leave with things left unsaid, and she grabbed her hand. "I love you too," Haley said quietly as she waited for Brooke to look at her. She finally did, slowly turning her head to face Haley. Tears were flowing down her cheeks, both her chin and lower lip trembling, "Really?" Haley smiled and nodded as she wrapped her arms around Brooke's neck, quoting one of movies they had watched a few days ago, "Really really." "I have a question again," Brooke said, grinning. "You don't even have to ask, Brooke," Haley chuckled before pressing her mouth against Brooke's.

The kiss continued for several minutes before Brooke began to outline Haley's lips with her tongue then pushed against her mouth for permission to enter. Haley gave her access and Brooke's tongue began to mingle with her own as she got her first taste of Brooke. She moaned as Brooke deepened the kiss and started to massage Haley's tongue with her own. Haley began to suck at her bottom lip as she ran her hands through Brooke's hair. Brooke pressed into her harder as her hands roamed up and down the sides of Haley's body. She slowly slipped her hands under her shirt, rising them up her body and beginning to caress Haley's breasts. Haley abruptly pulled away from the kiss and covered her chest with her arms before sitting on the bed, not meeting her eyes. "Haley, I am so sorry," Brooke replied, gazing at her with pleading eyes as she sat down beside her and took one of her hands.

"I'm not ready for that, Brooke," Haley responded quietly. "I know and I'm sorry," Brooke sighed as she entwined her fingers with Haley's, "I just- I love you and I've kept these feelings inside for so long… I just want to let them out, you know? And I've been having these dreams…" She smiled as Haley quickly looked up at her. "You mean those kinds of dreams, um, the intimate ones," Haley asked incredulously then blushed a fierce red and hid her face from Brooke's view. "Yeah. You've been having them too," Brooke inquired. Haley nodded sheepishly as she glanced up at Brooke from behind some of the hair that had covered her face. Brooke took her other hand and grasped both of them firmly in her own as she turned to face her more, "Haley, I love you and I want to be with you. I know how you feel about sex and intimacy and I'm sorry about what happened a few minutes ago. I- something just came over me and… what I want to say is that I know it will take you some time, but I am willing to wait for you until you're ready. We can take this as slow as you want. I just want to be with you and if you want to wait then I will too. I love you so much Haley James, I'd do anything for you."

"T-Thank you," Haley replied, her eyes becoming watery again as she wrapped her arms tightly around Brooke's shoulders, "it means a lot to me that you will wait for me." "I would wait for you forever," Brooke responded as she hugged her too then pulled back and cupped Haley's cheek. She caressed it slowly with her thumb as she gazed into Haley's soulful brown doe eyes. "You are so beautiful," she whispered quietly. Haley pressed her lips lightly to Brooke's as she rubbed a hand up and down her back. The kiss ended a few minutes later with Haley pulling away but placing another chaste kiss on her mouth. Brooke smiled widely as she said, "I have to ask you something…" "Stop asking questions, Brooke," Haley replied before she pressed her lips to Brooke's once more.


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter! Sorry it took me so long to post it. It's been a crazy week. But to make up for it, it's a pretty long chapter I think. I'm also sorry to those of you who also read The Sweetest Sin. I'm having a little trouble of how I want everything to go with the aftermath of their night together. So please bear with me, I'll try to get it out soon. Well anyways, here's Chapter 14! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **PG to PG-13

P.S. -How many of you went out and bought, or pre-ordered, Season 1 of One Tree Hill? My dad was supposed to order it for me this weekend but he doesn't get paid until Tuesday so he's going to buy it next weekend. If he doesn't, he'll be in trouble! Lol.

**  
In The Presence of an Angel**

**Chapter 14**

The rest of the week passed by quickly due to their newfound closeness and, needless to say, there wasn't much arguing on Brooke's behalf about getting up and walking around. They were both content to lie in bed as they kissed or held one another in their arms. It was also this new relationship that both found that they couldn't keep their hands off each other. They, especially Brooke, avoided touching the more intimate parts such as breasts and anything below the waist besides legs and the tops of thighs, for she respected Haley's request to take it slow and didn't want to press her to do anything she didn't want to do. So they restricted themselves to simply running their hands over each other's bodies, giving back rubs, and of course, the passionate kissing exchanged between the two.

It was early morning around seven and Haley had already been up for two hours quietly doing chores around the house as Brooke slept peacefully in her bedroom. _'No, our bedroom,' _Haley thought happily with a wide smile on her face. With none of her family around and Brooke staying with her for so long, her home had become _their _home. They each did things around the house, albeit Brooke did smaller jobs such as folding clothes, making the bed, and sometimes tidying the living room, nothing too stressful or straining to hinder her recovery. Speaking of recovery, Brooke had her check-up at the hospital in an hour and a half. She had better wake Brooke up so she could get ready.

Haley entered the bedroom and smiled at the beautiful woman lying in her bed. She gently climbed onto the bed beside her and just simply lay there for a few minutes as she watched her girlfriend sleep. _'Girlfriends… is that what we are,' _Haley asked herself. She became both confused and nervous at this question. She and Brooke hadn't really established what they were earlier when they had first revealed their feelings for each other. Were they girlfriends? Were they a couple? Or was Brooke lonely and using her for the emotional comfort that guys couldn't give? And when she got what she wanted or got tired of waiting, would Brooke toss her aside like last year's shoes? Despite these unsettling thoughts, she pushed them to the back of her mind. Brooke didn't need that kind of stress right now. She would talk to her about it another time.

Haley smiled again as she lightly stroked Brooke's cheek with the back of an index finger and saw Brooke's smile widen in her sleep. She began to rub her back in slow circles as she gently pressed her lips to Brooke's in a tender kiss. Brooke started to stir and her eyelids fluttered up and down as she awakened. "Good morning, sleepyhead," Haley said softly, laying her head on the pillow next to Brooke's. "What time is it," Brooke asked in a raspy voice as she tried reading the numbers on the clock over Haley's shoulder. "About 7:15. You have to get up. We have your doctor's appointment at 8:30, remember," Haley responded. Brooke groaned and buried her head into her own pillow, her voice muffled, "I don't want to go. It's too early to be awake, especially on a Sunday morning." Haley kissed her bare shoulder and pulled the hair away from her face, "I know, but they need to make sure you're doing okay and then they can give you the all-clear to go back to school. Won't it be nice to be around all your friends again?"

Brooke sighed and pouted, "Yeah, but you, Peyton, Lucas, Nathan, and Jake are my only real friends. The other girls just hang around me like groupies or lackies to get even a fraction of my attention because I'm popular and they idolize me. And the guys… well, you know, they just want me because they think I'm an easy lay. I know, you don't like talking about 'it', but that's the truth. Everyone thinks I'm the slut of Tree Hill." Tears marred her delicate features and Haley wrapped her arms around Brooke's waist, leaving butterfly kisses all over her cheeks, "No you're not Brooke. You are a wonderful person with an amazing heart and you should show other people that side of you. It will show people how great you are and can be. You don't have to fit the cheerleader stereotype, Brooke. I knew there was something different about you from the others; it was one of the things that made me fall in love with you sweetie, and it's this," Haley replied, placing her hand over Brooke's heart. Brooke stroked her cheek once before leaning in and capturing her lips with her own.

This, calling each other 'sweetie' or 'honey' was also a new development that had been started only three days ago. Haley and Brooke had been sitting on the couch watching a movie when Haley suddenly felt eyes on her and turned to find Brooke staring at her. "What," she had asked. "Nothing," Brooke had replied, smiling. "Then why are you staring at me," Haley inquired. Brooke took Haley's hand into her own and entwined their fingers then looked at their linked hands before gazing back up at her with a large smile, "Because I love you." Haley gave her a huge grin as her face brightened up like a light bulb then squeezed Brooke's hand and gave her a light peck on the cheek, "I love you too sweetie."

They parted for air and Haley said, "You need to get up. We have to leave for the hospital soon." Brooke buried her head in the crook of Haley's neck and replied in a childish voice, "I don't wanna. I want to stay here all day with you." Haley stroked her hair, "I know, I do too, but I'll make you a deal." "What," Brooke asked. "If you be good for the nice doctor man, I'll treat you to breakfast, okay," Haley replied sweetly, talking to her as if she were a small child. Brooke sighed in exasperation, "Fine, but I get to choose the place." "Okay by me," Haley answered as she got out of the bed. "Come here," Brooke said as she too stood from the bed to go take a shower. The brunette walked over and Brooke wrapped her in a tight hug then softly kissed her on the lips, "See you in a while, crocodile." "Definitely later, alligator," Haley gave her a big grin. Brooke then gathered some clothes and went to the bathroom for her shower.

They finally arrived at the hospital and signed in at the front desk then waited for them to call her. "Brooke Davis," a nurse called out ten minutes later. Both girls rose from their seats and followed the woman behind the door to the exam rooms. Brooke spotted someone familiar and waved her hand, calling out excitedly, "Toni! Hey Toni!" The older woman turned at her name and saw her then rushed over, giving her a hug, "Brooke! How are you? Have you been taking it easy like I told you?" Brooke rolled her eyes and laughed, "Yeah, this prison guard over here made sure of it. I've been mostly bed ridden or confined to the couch since I came home from the hospital." "Brooke," Haley exclaimed. "Nice to see you again, Haley," Toni said, shaking her hand. "You too," Haley replied. The nurse that had called Brooke's name cleared her throat and Toni turned to her, "I'll take this one, Carly, I know what she's in for and I treated her last week." The other nurse nodded and handed over the chart to the woman. "Okay girls, come with me," Toni instructed as she walked down the hallway and led them into an exam room.

"Alright Brooke, you just change into this and I will be back in a few minutes," Toni replied as she handed her a gown. Brooke groaned and rolled her eyes as she took it from her, "Not one of these things again. My butt nearly froze last time I wore one of these." "Brooke," Haley warned, "remember what I said about breakfast." Brooke gave a disgruntled huff as she crossed her arms over her chest, "So what am I in for today?" Toni chuckled to herself at the two girls then responded, "First we have to check your heart then we have to draw some blood for some tests to make sure you are ready to handle the stress of going back into your normal routine and if all is okay, then you'll be okay to go back to school but still no cheerleading for a while." "Whoa, whoa. Draw blood? That means needles! I hate needles! I thought we were just coming in for a check-up," Brooke asked as she looked back and forth between Haley and Toni.

"You are, but it's standard procedure that with every heart patient we draw blood and do the EKG. The EKG measures your heart activity so we can tell if the spikes are lessening." "Standard procedure," Brooke mocked with distaste. "Everything is standard procedure around here Brooke. If we weren't, we'd be one big liability and we'd be buried under a never-ending pile of lawsuits," Toni responded with a crooked grin, "Well, let me go get the EKG machine and the ne- uh, supplies then we can get started, okay?" Brooke nodded nervously and wrapped her arms around herself.

Haley walked up behind Brooke and said in her best Transylvanian Dracula accent, "She wants to suck your blood…" Brooke jumped in fright, "Jesus Hales! Don't do that!" Toni laughed as she walked out of the room. Haley continued with her accent as she smiled and placed her hands on Brooke's shoulders, "Your lips taste so sweet, but ah, the neck is so much sweeter. The tender skin covering the tendons and blood-filled veins of your pretty neck. I'm sure your blood will taste like a delicate maple syrup." Haley leaned in and tilted her head with her mouth open and teeth bared as if to bite the left side of Brooke's neck. Instead, Haley lightly pressed her lips to Brooke's neck, which sent shivers down her spine.

"You don't know what you do to me," Brooke whispered huskily, wrapping her arms around Haley's waist. She kissed Haley then pressed her forehead against hers. Haley hugged her and it was then Toni walked in with the EKG machine. "Oh sorry," the woman said when she saw that she had interrupted on a private moment. Haley quickly pulled away and began to stutter nervously, "I-I, we…" Brooke replied, "It's okay, Hales. She knows." Haley gave her a confused stare and Brooke returned with a look that said she would tell her later.

Toni smiled at Haley in reassurance, "I think you two make a great couple and, like I told Brooke, you don't find a love like the one you two have at so young an age very often, so do everything you can to hold onto it." "I will," Haley replied honestly. "Alright Brooke, you need to go into the bathroom and get your gown on so we can get these tests done or you'll be here longer and I know how much you hate hospitals," Toni told her with a wry grin. "Okay, anything to get out of here. Hospitals creep me out," Brooked answered with an involuntary shudder. Both of the other girls laughed as Brooke took the gown and made her way into the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later, Brooke was lying on a hospital bed hooked up to the EKG machine and Haley was sitting in a chair beside the bed while they waited for Toni to come back in. "Brooke, how does Toni know about us," she asked confusedly after some thought. "Well, when I was in the hospital last time, Toni saw the way we talked and interacted with each other and she assumed that we were together, like we are now. I didn't really try to correct her then, but it was because I had feelings for you and I wanted to entertain the thought of us being together for a little longer. And now at least one of my dreams has come true and I am so very happy that it did," Brooke wrapped her arms around her shoulders and kissed her. When they parted, Haley asked, "And what is another dream you want to come true?" Brooke blushed a deeply dimpled smile as she buried her head in Haley's neck, "Well, you'll have to wait for that." Haley's cheeks tinted red as she realized what Brooke was implying.

Haley didn't have time to reply because at that moment, Toni walked back in, "Okay Brooke, it's time for me to draw some blood. It will only hurt for a second." "Don't tell me that," Brooke shouted, covering her ears and closing her eyes tight. Brooke began to breathe a little more heavily in short, shallow breaths. It was apparent that Brooke was beginning to really freak out.

Haley placed one of her small hands around Brooke's wrist and gently pulled it away from her ear, "Brooke, come on. It will only take a minute or two. They have to do it to make sure you're doing okay." Brooke replied with her eyes still closed, shaking her head vigorously from side to side, "No, I hate needles; and I'm squeamish around blood." Haley stroked her hair and kissed her forehead, "Come on sweetie, do it for me. Just concentrate on me and hold my hand. It will all be over soon." Brooke reluctantly lowered her arms and opened her eyes, grabbing tightly onto Haley's hand and entwining their fingers. She stared into Haley's loving eyes for several long moments before she took a deep breath, thrust her arm out, and said to Toni, her gaze never leaving Haley's face, "Hurry and get it over with."

Toni tied the rubber tourniquet around Brooke's arm then had Brooke grip onto a stress ball. She felt around for a vein then rubbed the spot with an alcohol swab and took the stress ball from her. She prepared the needle then said, "You'll feel a little prick." At this, Brooke shut her eyes for a few seconds then opened them and resumed staring into Haley's eyes. Two minutes later, Toni finished collecting the blood and replied, "Okay, all done. You did good, Brooke." She smiled at the two young women then turned to Haley, "You were really great at calming her down. Are you good with babies and young children? Because we could use someone like you in the Pediatrics department. We need someone to help keep the kids calm for when we examine them, have tests done, or give them shots."

"Haley's great with kids. Remember the baby she was holding when I was last in the hospital? She is amazing with her. You should do it Hales," Brooke piped in. Haley bit her bottom lip and responded uncertainly, "I don't know. I still have the café to think about. I will consider it though." Toni suggested, "You could work part time, because I know you have school and all, but if you still want to work at the café, you can work here a couple hours a week including weekends, whenever you want to. It would be a great help to us." Toni smiled in encouragement and Brooke rubbed her shoulder, "This is the perfect job for you Hales." "I-I still don't know," Haley replied, tears welling in her eyes as she sniffled. "Toni, could you give us a few minutes please," Brooke requested; Toni nodded in understanding and left them to talk.

"Sweetie, what's wrong? Why are you crying," Brooke asked, stroking her hair then her cheek. "I-I'm not sure if I should do this. I mean, being around all those babies and children… they'll remind me of Ryan and I don't know if I would be able to handle that…" Brooke hugged her and rubbed her back, "You're strong; you can do this. I bet Ryan would have wanted you to do this for him. Listen Hales, I know his death is still fresh since it happened only two years ago, but you have to let go of him a little. He will always be right here." She placed her index finger to Haley's heart. Haley wrapped her arms around Brooke's neck and buried her head into her hair. There were no words to be said, for the hug was all that was needed.

Several minutes later, after Toni had taken the blood to the lab, she returned to the hospital room. "Haley, if you decide you want to do it, here's my home number and the hospital number where you can reach me. You both can call me anytime you need to talk or something," Toni said as she handed Haley a piece of paper. Haley smiled and replied, "Thank you." "It will be another hour probably until we get the results back. Do you want anything from the cafeteria? Something to read or do you want to watch television," Toni asked. "I'm good for now," Brooke replied. "I'm a little thirsty. I'll go down and get something to drink," Haley responded as she squeezed Brooke's hand, "I'll be back in a few minutes."

Haley went to the cafeteria and bought a strawberry smoothie. As she headed back, she heard loud crying from one of the rooms. She was drawn to it by some unseen force and she peeked inside the door. A young child no older than seven years old was screaming his head off and cradling his arm while his distraught mother paced back and forth, muttering to herself before walking out, "I need a cigarette." She entered the room and walked over to the bed, pulling a rolling stool over and sitting on it. "What's your name," she asked in a calm voice, even though she was filled with nervous, flittering butterflies in her stomach. "Jake," the little boy replied. "Really? I have a friend named Jake. He likes to play basketball. Do you like to play," Haley inquired. Jake shook his head, "No, I play baseball." "That's cool. What position do you play?" "First base," he replied proudly. "Wow, that's awesome. I don't know much about baseball, so how about you tell me what happened to your arm? How did you hurt it?"

"I was sitting on a branch in a tree in my backyard and I fell. Do you think it's broken," he asked as he sniffled through his tears. "I'm not sure, it could be just a sprain. Has the doctor looked at it yet?" Just then, the doctor walked in and glanced at his chart then looked up at Haley and studied her closely for a few seconds before offering his hand for her to shake, "Hello Mrs. Cole, my name is Dr. Fitzgerald. If you don't mind my saying, don't you look a little young to have a seven year old?" Haley blushed in embarrassment, "Oh no, I'm not his mother. She went outside for a smoke." "Then who are you," he inquired.

"Oh, I uh, I just heard him crying and I came in here to help calm him down. His mother was very distraught and wasn't doing anything to calm her son down. I was down the hall when I heard him screaming and I didn't think it would be good for the other children to hear him because it would only scare them more," Haley explained nervously. She didn't want to get in trouble. Dr. Fitzgerald smiled at her, "Good job. You were great with him." Haley nodded, "Thank you. I must be getting back to my friend now, she's probably wondering where I am." She quickly exited the room and headed back to Brooke's.

She entered with a wide smile on her face and Brooke noticed this then replied in a sarcastic tone, "Hey, why are you so smiley and cheery? Your girlfriend here is lying in a hospital bed hooked up to like a million machines and her blood supply severely depleted. How can you be happy about something like that?" "I'm not happy about that," Haley smiled even wider as she thought of helping the little boy. "Then what is it," Brooke inquired interestedly. "Let's just say that I'll be taking that job," she replied. "That's great," Toni responded excitedly from behind them. "Yeah Hales, I'm glad you're going to do it," Brooke answered.

"Well Brooke, I have your results from the blood and EKG tests. You are recovering nicely and you are allowed to go back to school, but you must still take it easy and no cheerleading for awhile yet. You need to come back in for another check-up in three months. I don't want to see you here before that, okay," Toni explained. "You got it," Brooke answered, "am I outta here?" "Yep, you're all clear to go." "Great, I'll get dressed and then we can go to breakfast," she said to Haley then turned to the older woman, "thanks for everything Toni." "You're welcome honey," she hugged Brooke. "I'll call you soon with dates and times I can work at the hospital," Haley replied as she too hugged Toni.

Once Brooke got dressed and they left the hospital they went to Denny's for breakfast. They were now in Haley's car, driving home from the restaurant, when Haley asked, "So, what do you want to do today?" "Let's go see if the guys are at the rivercourt. I feel like playing some basketball," Brooke replied. "No way, you heard Toni, you're still supposed to take it easy." "I know, but it doesn't take much effort to stand there and toss a ball into the hoop." "Well, you're going to have to be content with sitting on the sidelines and watching them play and I'll be there to keep you company. Maybe even Peyton will be there too."

They pulled into the parking lot of the park by the rivercourt and both retrieved their jackets and purses from the backseat. As they walked across the grass near the playground, Brooke spun in slow circles with her arms out and head up, staring up at the sky. "It feels so good to be outside again," she said. "It is nice out today," Haley remarked as she too stared around her. She spotted all of their friends by the rivercourt and quickly turned to Brooke, "Hey, can I talk to you for a second?" She nodded and went to sit on a swing, patting the one beside her, "Sit." Haley fiddled nervously with her hands, "Um, I uh… I'm not sure how to say this really, but I would like it if we could keep our relationship… whatever this is… a secret for awhile. I mean, it's just so new and I don't want anything or anybody to ruin it for us…" She was stopped by Brooke's hand on her cheek and Haley glanced worriedly over to the court, sighing in relief when she saw that they were out of sight from their friends.

"Of course, sweetie. I was also meaning to talk to you about that. Haley, I love you," she took both of Haley's hands into her own, "I know we didn't really clear this up before, but we can clear it up now. This is a relationship; you're my girlfriend and I'm yours. We are a couple and I wouldn't have it any other way. I know with my past and everything that you might think that you're just some passing fling or a fulfillment of a curiosity of what it would be like to be with someone of the same sex, but it's not like that. I love you and I'm in this for the long run." By now, large tears had welled in Haley's eyes and fallen down her cheeks. Her bottom lip trembled with emotion and she blinked slowly, closing her lids over her eyes before opening them again. Then suddenly she tore from her seat and lunged at Brooke, wrapping her arms around Brooke's upper torso and burying her head into Brooke's neck, "I love you so much, and I'm in this for the long run too."

Brooke closed her eyes in contentment as they held onto each other tightly. She kissed Haley's hair and rubbed her back slowly in small circles. They remained like that for several more minutes until Brooke pulled away and wiped Haley's cheeks with her thumbs before lightly kissing her on the forehead, lest anyone saw them together. She stood and tugged on Haley's hand as she smiled at her, "Come on, let's go watch the guys play."

When they neared the court, Peyton spotted them and ran over, screaming, "Brooke!" The guys stopped playing and came over too. Peyton wrapped her in a tight hug and Brooke responded with a laugh, "Jeez Peyt, could you loosen up a little? I don't want you squeezing what little blood I have left out of me. I just had like two whole pints of blood taken out of me." "Sorry," Peyton pulled away. Lucas saw the dried tears on Haley's cheeks and asked, "Hales, why were you crying?" He touched her cheek softly. "She's crying because she's just so damn happy that she's finally free of her prison guard duty," Brooke smiled at Haley, "Oh wait, maybe that's just me. We just got back from the hospital for my check-up and I'm allowed to go back to school, but no cheerleading still so Peyton will have to continue coaching the squad."

"That's great Brooke," Nathan replied. "Yeah, it'll be good for to be back at school, into a somewhat normal routine," Jake responded. Jenny, who was in her carrier which Jake was holding, began to cry and Haley bent down to her, "Hey Jenny. Why are you crying little girl?" Jake set the carrier down and Haley unbuckled Jenny then picked her up and stood, lightly bouncing the baby on her hip. Jenny immediately began to calm down and Haley smiled as Jake shook his head in amazement. "There you go, that's a good little girl. You just wanted some attention, didn't you Jenny? Everybody saw ole Brookie over there and came rushing over. How could anyone be so rude, huh? Why would someone want to direct their attention to anything but you? You're so cute, yes you are," Haley cooed.

"Hey, I'm the sick person here," Brooke exclaimed, "I deserve attention." Haley laughed, "You may deserve attention but babies can't care for themselves so they need more attention than you. So Jenny should take priority over you." "Hey," Brooke protested. Haley then glanced around at all her friends, giving them a mock glare, "I'm ashamed of all of you. You guys just run over here and forget all about poor, helpless little Jenny." "I didn't forget her," Jake piped in, gesturing to the carrier he had picked up, "Peyton's the one who left her on the picnic table when she saw Brooke." Lucas wrapped an arm around Peyton's waist and kissed her temple, "I hope you aren't like that when we have our own kids." The other four exchanged glances and raised eyebrows then all turned back to look at the couple. Haley asked incredulously, "Peyton, you're not pregnant are you?" Peyton looked around at her friends' serious faces then glanced at Lucas with a mischievous glint in her eyes. She smiled and patted her stomach, "Yep, Baby Scott will be here in about seven months."

There were a few moments of complete silence, all shocked by the news. Then Nathan broke out into a big grin and whooped, "I'm going to be an uncle!" This broke the ice and Brooke inquired, "So, you're really pregnant?" Peyton laughed, "No, I'm not. It was just a joke." Nathan's smile turned into a pout with his lower lip sticking out, "Aww, I really wanted to be an uncle. Then I could teach it basketball." "And you don't think that I, the child's father, who also plays basketball, would teach it how to play?" Nathan placed his hand on his brother's shoulder and chuckled, "Oh Luke man, when are you going to stop kidding yourself? We all know that I'm the better player and the best on the team." Lucas laughed sarcastically, "Ha ha, yeah right. Let's see about that. You and me, right now. First one to fifty points wins." "You're on," he replied.

They all went over to the court and while Lucas and Nathan battled it out, Jake and the girls watched from the picnic table. It ended up being a close game with Luke winning by three points. "Yeah," Luke shouted, thrusting his fist up into the air and jumping once. Peyton turned to Brooke and Haley, "I wonder if he realizes that he just won a game on the grounds of being the better person to teach our fictitious baby how to play basketball." Haley replied, "Nah, might as well let them have their cake and eat it too, or in this case, their pride." Jake laughed and called out, "Hey guys! They're making fun of you over here." "You're making fun of us, huh," Lucas called back from the court beside Nathan. He glanced at his brother and nodded, "let's do it." They raced over and started tickling the girls with Jake joining in.

"Luke, stop," Peyton screamed. "Hey, don't hurt the sick person! I just got out of the hospital! Stop it, Jake," Brooke squealed, trying to squirm from his grasp. "Nate, if you don't stop, I'm going to throw up all my breakfast on you that I just ate," Haley yelled as she giggled. Nathan immediately pulled away, "Eww, stay away! I don't want chunks blown at me!" Jake moved from Brooke too and helped her up. Lucas grinned widely at Peyton, "There's no reason I can't tickle you." He then laid into her more intensely and Peyton screamed, "Lucas Scott, if you don't stop this instant, no sex for a week!" He slowed for a few seconds as if pondering whether he should stop or not, then replied as he continued on tickling her, "Nah, you wouldn't." "Two weeks! A month!" Luke finally let go of her and stood her up. Haley said with a grin, "Maybe some abstinence will do you two some good. You guys are always all over each other." Nathan let out a short laugh, "That'll never happen. They say they will but before you know it, they'll be meeting for quickies in the janitor's closet at school."

Both Peyton and Lucas blushed and Nathan's eyes widened in surprise, "You have done it in the janitor's closet! Eww! I've been in one of them too! Which building? I can't believe I might have been in the same room where my brother and my ex-girlfriend had sex!" "You have," Lucas responded, "my room." Brooke shifted her eyes between the two brothers then turned to Lucas, "What was he doing in your room? You weren't doing anything you weren't supposed to, I hope. Now Lucas, I told you I'd keep your secret, but that's just wrong!" Peyton faced her boyfriend with a confused expression, "What is she talking about?" Lucas chuckled, "For some odd reason, Brooke thinks I'm gay. Brooke, I'm sorry that you think anyone who breaks up with you must be gay, this is not the case. You and I both know why we broke up." "Yeah, you're too conceited," she replied as she crossed her arms, "you have an ego the size of Jupiter." "Me," he pointed to himself with raised eyebrows, "what about you? You-"

"Okay guys, cut it out. No more fighting today," Peyton replied, moving to stand in between the two. "Come on, let's play some ball," Nathan said. "Ooo, I wanna play," Brooke jumped excitedly. "No," Haley responded sternly, "I told you, you still have to take it easy, no strenuous activity." "Looks like she hasn't totally given her job of prison guard up yet, and won't be giving it up so easily," Jake commented. "You're darn right. I want to make sure she gets better and stays better. I don't want to see her have another spike again and remember the doctor said they could get worse," Haley replied. All nodded as they headed over to the court. "We could do a two on two, Peyton or Haley could play," Lucas suggested. "I can't shoot worth my life. Haley, you play," Peyton said. "Okay, I'm in," Haley replied. "You any good," Brooke asked then pointed to the guys behind her, "because you have to be to play against them." "Of course, I have three best friends who are guys on a basketball team teach me how to play," Haley responded with a smile.

"Nathan can be a team all by himself, he usually plays like he's the whole team anyway," Lucas joked. "Oh really? Maybe you're just scared that you'll get beat by the great Nathan Scott, so you're trying to recruit all the others because you'll need all the help you can get," Nathan smirked back at his brother. "You just bring it," Lucas said. "Don't worry, I will. Pick your team member," Nathan replied. "Fine, I pick Hales." "Okay then, I'll take Jake," Nathan answered then both brothers headed to the court, trying to steal the ball away from Lucas who was dribbling it. Haley and Jake stared at each other then he asked, "We're not going to get any game time in this one, are we?" "Doesn't look like it," she responded.

They played for what seemed like hours with Luke and Hales teaming up for the winning shot. Nathan had the ball and was trying to shoot the ball when Lucas blocked his fade away, grabbed the ball, and tossed it to Haley who made a lay up into the net. "What is that Nate, three times I've beat you today? You know what the best part about it is? You got beat, by…a…GIRL," Lucas replied, drawing out the last three words for emphasis. The three others laughed and before Nathan could respond, Peyton and Brooke, who was holding Jenny, came rushing up to them. "Great game, babe," Peyton said as she jumped on his back and kissed him on the cheek. "You played really well, Hales. You should think about joining the girls' basketball team," Brooke told her. "I've thought about it, but it's more of a recreational thing for me to do once in a while. Besides, I've already got two jobs now and school, not to mention tutoring. I'll hardly have time for anything else."

"Wait, what's this about you having two jobs? You're only have the café as far as I know," Lucas asked confusedly. Peyton, Jake, and Nathan nodded too, wanting to know. "Well when I was at the hospital today for the check-up, Brooke had a little freak out session when the nurse wanted to draw blood because she hates needles and gets squeamish. I calmed her down and the nurse said that I was really good at it and that they could use someone to help calm the kids down if they are upset. I was apprehensive at first because of being around babies and kids because of Ryan, but when I was coming back from the cafeteria, I heard a little kid screaming. I followed the voice and there was this little boy who had fallen out of a tree and possibly broken his arm. I talked to him for a few minutes and by the time the doctor walked in, I had gotten him to stop screaming. It felt really good to help that little boy so I decided that I would take the job. It's only a few hours a week, including weekends."

"That's cool. It will be a great job for you. You are awesome with Jenny," Jake replied. Haley saw Brooke try to stifle a yawn then responded, "Okay guys, Brooke's tired. I'm going to take her home so she can get some rest." "But I don't want to leave," Brooke protested with a pout. "I know, but you have to get enough sleep because you have school tomorrow." "Fine," Brooke lowered her head dejectedly. "We'll see you guys tomorrow at school," Haley responded, placing her hand on Brooke's back and guiding her to her car.

Later that evening, Brooke was laying on the couch with her legs draped over the armrest, reading a book. Haley walked into the room and went over to the couch, "Lift your head up." Brooke did so and Haley slid her body over, her lap cushioning Brooke's head. She leaned down and softly pressed her lips to Brooke's then ran her hands along her body before grabbing her hand and entwining their fingers. "I love you," she said, stroking the top of Brooke's head with her free hand. Brooke laid the book down on her stomach and pulled their entwined hands to her lips, placing a light kiss on them, "I love you too." "Come on, it's getting late and we have school tomorrow. Let's go to bed," Haley responded, tugging on her hand. "Alright," Brooke replied, marking the page in the book then swinging her legs to the ground and standing up. She helped Haley up and they made their way to the bedroom. Haley laid down first then Brooke got in behind her, spooning against her body and curling her arm around Haley's stomach, entwining their fingers again. Brooke pushed aside some of Haley's hair and kissed her neck, "Night, Hales." She replied sleepily, "Night Tigger."

The next morning, Brooke and Haley got up early to get ready for school and made breakfast. They had blueberry pancakes, bacon, and orange juice. Both prepared their backpacks then headed out the door to Haley's car. She drove to school and they sat there in the car for several minutes, feeling a little out of place and as if they'd been gone for months, not just a short week and a half. Each stepped out and locked their doors then met in front of the car. They both stared at the grounds and buildings of the high school before them then looked at each other. "You ready for this," Haley asked. Brooke smiled one of her deeply dimpled smiles, "Only if you're with me." Haley grinned widely, "Always." Brooke then linked her arm through Haley's and both made their way into Tree Hill High School.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! I am so sorry that I haven't updated this story in so long! I've been really busy. I've had some college things to do like orientations, scholarships, financial aid and all that kind of crap. Plus, it's nearing finals time for two of my classes, because they're only nine weeks long, so I've been preparing for those too. Anyways, to make up for the long absence, this chapter is pretty long and FULL of Baley fluff! I hope you guys like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **PG to PG-13

P.S. – In the Presence of an Angel has reached over 100 reviews! With ITPOAA on both and on the OTH Central board, it has been given amazing feedback since the start. I know I can't thank every single one of you personally, but I would like to thank everyone for reading this story and reviewing. Your reviews make me so happy and brighten my dark days. Thank you to everyone one who has been with me for this roller coaster ride through the relationship of Brooke and Haley and also to those who didn't start reading until later and caught up. I'm glad to those of you who stuck by my story. I can't thank you all enough. And don't worry, ITPOAA isn't going to be finished any time soon, so there will be lots more chapters of Baley!

**In the Presence of an Angel**

**Chapter 15**

Later that day when school let out for the seniors, Haley met Brooke by her locker. "Hey, so how was your first day back," she asked as she placed her hand on Brooke's back. "It was all okay except not having you in my other two classes," Brooke answered quietly with a grin. "Well I missed you too. Come on, let's go. I've gotta drop you off at home then I have to go to work," Haley replied. Brooke pouted, "But I haven't seen you almost all day. Now I'm going to be home all alone for five or six more hours? That's no fair." "You could come with me to the café if you want. It will probably be kind of boring there, but I suppose you could do homework or something," Haley suggested as they walked to Haley's car. "Or I could watch you," she smiled widely, her dimples showing. Haley laughed at her comment, "Sure, like that won't be completely obvious." "I can be subtle, like sneak little glances at you every once in a while," Brooke responded. "Oh please Brooke, being subtle is not your forte."

Brooke gave her a sad puppy face and faked a pout as she crossed her arms, "Fine, if you don't want me there, then I won't come." Now in the confines of the car, Haley hugged her and kissed her neck, so as not to raise suspicion if they were to share a kiss on the lips and anyone were watching. "Of course I want you there." "Then I'll come," Brooke stated. "Good," Haley replied, "now let's get going. We might be able to have lunch together if we get there before the midday rush."

A few hours later, Haley came over to the booth that Brooke was sitting in and leaned down to whisper quietly as she quickly looked to see if anybody were watching. "Would you stop staring at me? People are going to notice," she hissed. Brooke just smiled up at her, "I can't help it. You're just so damn beautiful." Haley blushed a bright red and lightly pushed Brooke, "Stop." "What? I'm just simply stating the truth," she grinned with her dimples showing, "can't a girl compliment her girlfriend?" Haley blushed even more, "Yes, but not in public where everyone can hear." "Well, we will have to do something about that, won't we," she responded with a flirty smile. "Not now Brooke, I have to work," Haley replied. An idea struck Brooke's mind and she asked, "You're closing tonight, right?" Haley nodded and Brooke continued with a grin, "I have an idea." "Uh oh, that's never a good thing when Brooke Davis has an idea," Haley joked. "Hey," Brooke protested with a pout, "I have good ideas." "Like the time you were drunk and thought it would be fun to go swimming in Nathan's pool? You would have drowned if you hadn't been in the shallow end of the pool."

"Okay, I'll give you that, but it was just a moment of stupidity in my intoxicated state. But this idea is really good. You'll love it." "What is it," Haley inquired warily. "I'm not telling. You'll just have to wait and see," she replied with a secretive smile. "Fine," Haley sighed, "I have to get back to work now. I'll see you later." "Wait," Brooke replied, "can I have your car keys?" Haley asked with a confused expression, "What for?" "I need your car to go get some stuff," Brooke replied. "No way Brooke. I know how you drive. You're worse than Peyton," Haley responded. "Hey, I'm not worse than Peyton," Brooke said then pouted with her lower lip sticking out and sad puppy eyes, "please Hales? I'll be really good with it." "Fine," Haley sighed then gestured Brooke to follow her behind the counter to retrieve her purse and said quietly to her in a stern tone, "but if I see even one scratch, one small little scratch, no more cuddle time for a week." Brooke looked at her with a shocked expression, "I wouldn't be able to survive without cuddle time with you." "I know, so you better not hurt my car. That car is my baby," Haley replied. "I thought I was your baby," Brooke responded with a sad expression and a frown.

"You are. Now turn that frown upside down. You shouldn't frown, you know, because you never know when someone is falling in love with your smile," Haley grinned as she put a finger on each side of Brooke's lips and tried to pull the corners of her mouth up into a smile. Brooke giggled and leaned in to whisper in her ear, "I'd kiss you right now but we're in front of all these people. So I'll kiss you later. See you in a while, crocodile." "Definitely later, alligator," Haley replied as they said their trademark goodbye phrases to each other. Brooke took the keys from Haley and sauntered her way out of the café, moving her butt from side to side, knowing Haley was watching. Just before Brooke exited through the door, she turned her head and gave Haley a wink and a dimpled smile. Haley just laughed.

Later that evening as Haley was closing up, Brooke entered the café, changed from her previous clothes. She now wore loose-fitting plaid flannel pajama pants and a light blue long-sleeved tee that said, _'Angel in disguise' _on it. There was a little cartoon person on it with devil horns and also with angel wings and a halo hovering over its head. "Hey, where have you been all day," Haley asked, moving from the counter and kissing her lightly on the lips, the customers now gone. "Oh you know, the usual. Getting stuff together, shopping, wrecking your car, preparing for tonight…" she replied nonchalantly. "You what! You wrecked my car? Are you alright? Brooke, I told you to be careful," Haley exclaimed with wide eyes. "Chill Hales, I'm only kidding," Brooke responded with a short laugh. "Good, because I would seriously have hurt you if you did." Brooke handed her a duffel bag, "Here, go get changed." "What's this," Haley asked. "It's a sexy little leather number I bought for you at the lingerie shop, now go put it on," Brooke grinned then burst out laughing at Haley's expression, "that was SO priceless. Really, it's just pajamas. Once you put them on, our night will begin." Haley raised an eyebrow before peeking warily into the duffel bag and Brooke replied as she ushered Haley to the bathrooms, "Go on, hurry up. No time for delay." "A little eager much," Haley inquired as she opened the door to enter. "Very. Now get in there," Brooke closed the door between them so Haley wouldn't take up more time.

"Finally. Took you long enough," Brooke replied when Haley exited the bathroom, dressed in similar clothes as Brooke. "Very impatient tonight, aren't we," Haley asked. "I just want everything to be perfect," Brooke responded then took her hand and began leading her towards the stairs to the roof, "come on." When they stood before the door to the roof, Brooke said, "Close your eyes, no peeking." "What are we doing up here, Brooke," Haley asked confusedly as she closed her eyes. "You'll see," she replied as she put one hand over Haley's eyes to make sure she couldn't see then opened the door and grabbed her shoulder, guiding her outside onto the top of the building. "Okay, open your eyes," Brooke requested and Haley gasped at what she saw. It was a little chilly out that night so Brooke had laid down two sleeping bags and some blankets with some candles surrounding them. Some red, white, and yellow rose petals had also been scattered about the area and a picnic basket sat between the two sleeping bags. "You did all this," Haley asked in a soft, emotional voice as she stared at the sight before her then looked up at Brooke with tears in her eyes.

Brooke nodded, "We never really had a first date because I was on house arrest and I wanted to show you how much I love you and how much I appreciate you being there for me all this time. It's not much, but it's what I could do in such a short amount of time." "It's beautiful; I love it. And I love you," she smiled as she wrapped her arms around Brooke's waist and pressed her lips firmly to Brooke's. They parted then went to sit on the sleeping bags and Brooke opened the picnic basket then set out plastic plates and silverware. Brooke took out a small bowl and Haley asked in a joking tone, "Should I be worried about food poisoning?" "No, it's nothing fancy. Just some sandwiches and your favorite food of course," Brooke smiled. "The food of the Gods? You made macaroni and cheese?" "Yep." Haley let out a light squeal and clapped her hands as she bounced up and down a little in her spot, "This night is perfect!" Brooke replied with a secretive grin, "The night isn't over yet."

After they had eaten, both lay back on their sleeping bags and relaxed. "Mmm, that was so good," Haley responded as she rubbed her stomach, "I don't think I could eat another bite." "Glad you liked it," Brooke replied. They lay in a comfortable silence for a few minutes then Haley said, "Come here." Haley gestured her over with her hand and scooted over to make room for her on the sleeping bag. Brooke laid down beside her and Haley took her hand in hers, entwining their fingers. She stared into Brooke's deep brown eyes, almost a golden orange in the candlelight, seeing all the love they held just for her. "I love you," she said before kissing Brooke passionately on the lips. Haley slowly, carefully, climbed on top of Brooke as they kissed and when Brooke realized what she was doing, she pulled away. "Hales…" she looked confusedly at her. She gave her a small smile, "No, it's okay. I just want to lay here with you for awhile." Haley laid her head on Brooke's chest and wrapped her arms around Brooke's back, closing her eyes in contentment.

They must have laid there for over two hours because when she looked at her watch, it was nearly midnight. Haley had dozed off and Brooke now gently shook her awake, "Hales sweetie, you have to get up. It's almost time." "Time for what," she asked groggily as she slid off of Brooke and shakily stood up. "Come with me and I'll show you," Brooke took her hand and gathered all their belongings then led her downstairs to the car. They drove for about ten or fifteen minutes and they finally arrived at the beach. "What are we doing here," Haley asked as they got out. They joined hands again in front of the car and took off their shoes, letting the sand sift between their toes as they walked down the beach to the water. "Every time something major happens in my life, I come down here at midnight when the tides are high. And like the date, I didn't get to do that because I was on bed rest. This is the biggest and the best thing that's happened in my life so far and I want to share this with you," Brooke explained as she squeezed Haley's hand. "It's beautiful out here at this time of night," Haley observed a little breathlessly, taking in the waves and ripples, the moon's reflection in the water, and Brooke's beautiful face illuminated by the moon's gentle light.

"Yeah, it is," Brooke said softly, she too staring out at the water. Haley wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her cheek to get her attention. "Hey, what's on your mind? What are you thinking about in that head of yours," Haley asked concernedly as she brushed a few strands of hair that had fallen away from Brooke's face. She could tell by the expression on her girlfriend's face that something was bothering her. Her body felt a little tense too and she had let go of Haley's hand to cross her arms over her chest, now staring down at the ground and kicking at the sand with her foot. "Talk to me, Tigger," Haley encouraged her by patting her on the hip with the hand around Brooke's waist. Brooke sighed as she pulled away from Haley and sat on the sand, curling her legs close to her chest and resting her arms on her knees as she stared straight ahead into the dark depths of the water. Worried, Haley carefully settled down beside her as she watched her and waited with concerned eyes.

Brooke sighed again as she continued to stare into the night, responding quietly, "I-I was thinking about you, me, us… how we're going to tell everyone, how everyone will react… I mean, not many people will-" Haley silenced her by putting a finger to Brooke's lips, "Sh, let's not worry about that right now. We'll talk about it when the time comes. It's a beautiful night and we're together, that's all that matters at this moment." Haley smiled as she placed one hand at the back of Brooke's head and pressed her forehead against Brooke's, placing a kiss there then moving down to her lips. Brooke smiled as she stared into Haley's eyes, "How do you know when to say all the right things?" "It's a gift," Haley chuckled as she curled both arms around Brooke's torso and laid her head on her shoulder. Brooke rubbed her back and smiled down at her as she lightly brushed her lips against Haley's, "You're amazing, you know that?" Haley grinned, "Yeah, I tell myself that every day." "Would you stop that," Brooke replied. "Stop what," Haley asked.

"Acting sarcastic whenever I compliment you or say something nice about you," Brooke responded as she looked at her girlfriend. "I-I'm just not used to it, okay? It's how I deal. I don't get complimented that much and if I do, it's usually by Nathan, Lucas, or Jake and they're my friends," Haley replied. "I'm your friend too though," Brooke pointed out. "I know, but it's different because you're my girlfriend. You have to compliment me," Haley gave her a quirky smile. "You're doing it again," Brooke responded as she nudged the other girl. Haley sighed, "It's sort of hard for me to take compliments because I've never gotten them outside my circle of friends. I mean, my parents obviously want nothing to do with me so why should they say anything to me much less compliment me. Plus, I've never really had a boyfriend before so…"

"Come here," Brooke gestured for her to enter her open arms. Brooke kissed the top of her head and stroked her hair then cupped her cheek and stared into her brown eyes. "I guess I have a lot of making up to do then, huh," she replied after a few moments and grinned. Brooke pulled back and took both of Haley's hands into her own. "I love your eyes and your nose, especially when it wrinkles up like when you're looking at something really hard or you're studying and you don't understand something. I love your hands," Brooke said as she lightly squeezed her hands then entwined their fingers, "they fit in mine just right, like they were made only for each other. And I love you lips. God, how I love your lips. They're so soft and it makes me want to never stop kissing you, to never not be able to kiss you. I love the way you make me feel. I've never felt like this before and it feels so… I can't even put it into words… it's just… it's amazing… you're amazing. I love you so much Hales. I know it's no secret that my past relationships have had anything but love and, having the same kind of parents as you do, I didn't know what love was. That is, until I met you. I have never felt this way about anyone and I know when I look at you that this is love. I know that I often close up a lot and hide my feelings, but I promise you that I'm going to love you more than anyone because I have never loved someone as much as I love you."

By now, silent tears were cascading Haley's cheeks in waterfalls. She lowered her head and wiped them away, sniffling as she did so. Haley placed her hands on Brooke's shoulders and stood on her knees, leaning up and pressing her lips to Brooke's in a soft, yet passionate kiss. "Same here," Haley replied in a quiet tone after they parted, trying to swallow past the large lump in her throat. Brooke looked at her with an astonished, wide-eyed expression, "That's all you have to say? I lay my heart out here and all you have to say is 'same here'?" "I'm still trying to get past being speechless," Haley replied as she smiled up at her girlfriend, her eyes still watery from crying.

Haley just simply stared into her girlfriend's deep chocolate brown eyes for several moments, toying with the hair at the back of Brooke's neck. She then gently pushed Brooke to lay down on the sand and carefully straddled her hips. "Haley…" Brooke began but was silenced by Haley's index finger on her lips. "Sh, it's okay," Haley replied before pressing her mouth hard to Brooke's and running her hands up and down the sides of Brooke's body before skimming the edges of the bottom of Brooke's shirt and slipping them under the material. She lightly caressed the smooth skin of her stomach and her hands followed the curves of her hips, moving her hands around to her lower back. Brooke moaned; just her touch alone caused wonderful sensations to filter throughout her body. Haley began to kiss her shoulder then her collarbone then kissing across the neckline of her t-shirt…

-

The next morning, Brooke was the first to awaken and she lie still for a while so as not to disturb the beautiful woman lying half on top of her. Haley had her arms wrapped around Brooke's waist and her head resting on her chest with one leg thrown over Brooke's, a serene smile on her face. She frowned for a moment, her thoughts being invaded by memories of last night.

_Haley was kissing along the neckline of her t-shirt when Brooke responded, "Hales, wait." "Really, it's okay," Haley whispered against her skin as she moved up and covered Brooke's mouth with her own. Brooke replied in a stern tone as she gently pushed Haley's shoulders away from her, "Haley stop." Haley moved off of her, a hurt expression on her face, and stood then ran down the shore a bit and collapsed to the ground. Brooke followed her and as she approached, Haley replied in a weak voice, trying to hold back the tears threatening to burst from her eyes, "Take me home." "Hales, please let me explain…" Brooke began as she sank down onto the sand beside her. Haley fought not to cry but a few tears escaped as she responded, "You don't need to explain, Brooke, I get it. You don't want me." Haley stood and started walking away when Brooke stood and grabbed her shoulder, shouting as she turned her around, "Did you not hear me just ten minutes ago? I love you!" Haley replied sarcastically, "Nice way you have of showing it." _

"_Let me explain…" Brooke said firmly as she grabbed her hand. Haley tried to pull it away, but Brooke's grip remained tight yet gentle, "My whole life since I was fifteen has been about boys and sex and one night stands. This relationship is unlike any I've ever had; I've never felt like this before, I've never felt so much for one person as I feel for you. This relationship is still all new to us and I don't want to ruin things by moving too fast. What I'm saying is that I want to wait. I want to take this slow." "You really want me," Haley asked uncertainly. Brooke's heart broke at seeing such vulnerability in her eyes and her lower lip trembling like a leaf. Brooke cupped Haley's cheek as she stared into her eyes, "Of course I want you. Why would you think that?" Brooke mentally scanned her mind, trying to remember anything she'd said or done to lead Haley to believe otherwise, but found none. "I-I don't know…I guess this all seems like a dream to me and soon I'll wake up and-and… you won't be there. And sometimes I feel like I'm beneath you. You could have someone so much better, Brooke. Why'd you choose me? Unpopular, shy, loser Tutor Girl," Haley responded as she crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the ground. _

"_Hey hey, enough of that talk. You are not a loser Haley. I don't care if you're not popular or that you're shy. I love you because you're you and because you have an amazing heart," Brooke cupped Haley's cheeks in her hands again and pressed her forehead against hers, staring deep into her eyes, "Sometimes I feel like I'm the one who's beneath you. You are such a wonderful person, Hales. You're nice and you go out of your way to help others. Me, I don't have anything like that. Everybody thinks I'm some bitchy cheerleader slut." By now, Brooke's hands had drifted back to her sides and she stared down at the ground as tears fell. Haley wiped them away with her thumbs, "You're not a slut Brooke. You're just…misunderstood. Nobody really knows anything more about you than what you show them. If you show them the 'bitchy cheerleader' then that's all they see. They don't look past the mask, they only see what is in front of them. They don't see what I see in you. You are a nice person, you're loving and caring, you're intelligent, and many other things. If you showed others a different side of you, they might see you in a new light. Oh, and I did forget one thing…" "What," Brooke asked. "I forgot to add that you're the best girlfriend ever," Haley replied with a smile as she wrapped her arms around Brooke's neck and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "Right back at ya, sweetie," Brooke grinned as they kissed again._

Brooke smiled as she gazed down at her girlfriend and gently skimmed her hands over Haley's hair then softly caressed her cheek with an index finger. Haley stirred and smiled as her eyes fluttered open. "Good morning," she said groggily as she yawned. "Morning sleepyhead," Brooke responded as she rubbed her back. "What time is it," she asked. "Almost seven," Brooke replied. "We need to get ready for school," Haley said as she stood from the bed. "You go ahead and take your shower first," Brooke laid her head back on the pillow and gave her a small smile. "Please, like I don't know what you're doing. You just want to stare at my butt," Haley rolled her eyes. "Maybe," she grinned coyly. Haley blushed and shook her head then retreated to the bathroom.

Later that day at school, Haley and Brooke were walking down the hallway talking and laughing when Jake caught up to them. He wrapped an arm around Haley's back and leaned his head against hers for a moment, "Hey Hales, how are you?" "Great, really great," Haley beamed with happiness as she glanced at Brooke from the corner of her eye. "Hey, what about me," Brooke protested, a somewhat jealous look in her eyes at seeing Jake's arm around her girlfriend. "Oh, well, excuse me," Jake replied, drawing out the last two words then continued, talking in a mocking tone like he was hanging on every word she spoke, "how are you, Brooke?" Brooke rolled her eyes at his actions and crossed her arms, "I'm good, thank you." "Just good? Not great like James over here," Jake asked with a raised eyebrow as he curled an arm around her shoulders.

"Eh, life hasn't been too bad lately," Brooke responded with a tiny grin, knowing Haley would get irritated by her comment and later pull her aside, "How about you, Jake? How's Jenny?" "Everything is going fine. Jenny's growing like a weed. I swear, one day some of her clothes fit then the next they don't. She misses you Hales. Whenever I mention your name her face lights up and she giggles. It's so cute," Jake smiled as he chuckled at his daughter's actions. "Aww, that's so sweet. I'll have to come see her sometime this week," Haley replied. "Well guys, I have to head off to class. Oh, and," he pulled the girls closer to him whispering so only they could hear, "you might want to stop being so touchy-feely with each other and exchanging googly eyes. And Brooke, you could stop with that jealous glare. I'm not going to steal your girl." Jake gave them a wide smile and waved goodbye as he walked away, leaving the two astonished girls with their mouths hung open and eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets.


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! I'm back with Chapter 16! Sorry it's taken so long. That excuse has been pretty redundant lately, hasn't it? I've just been running myself ragged these last few weeks with school and college. I've had finals and lots of major essays worth like a bajillion percent of my grade, scholarships, freshman orientation, class registration and a whole bunch of other stuff. I will try to update at least once every week and that goes for The Sweetest Sin too. Sorry if there's a few errors in here, I typed this up really late and I'm very tired. Anyways, I hope you guys like this chapter. As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **PG to PG-13

P.S. – Tuesday's episode of One Tree Hill was PRICELESS! OMG! That was such a good episode! Uh oh, Nikki's back! I smell trouble!

**In the Presence of an Angel**

**Chapter 16**

By the time Haley and Brooke recovered from shock, the bell had rung for classes to resume. So when school was released for the day, Brooke grabbed her by the wrist and practically dragged her to the car. "Where are we going," Haley asked as Brooke took the car keys from Haley's pocket and inserted them into the ignition, revving the engine to life. "Jake's," she said simply. Haley smiled. She liked that Jake knew about them; it felt good to know that at least one of their friends was on their side.

They arrived at Jake's house a little over five minutes later, Brooke having driven quite fast to get there. As soon as the car rolled to a stop, Brooke pulled out the keys and jumped out, racing for the front steps, leaving Haley to take her time getting out. Brooke knocked frantically on the door, fear in her eyes. Had they really been that obvious? They had been trying so hard to keep their relationship under wraps, but now someone knew. Jake opened the door and smiled, knowing why she was there, "Why Brooke, what a nice surprise! What brings you here?" "I-I…h-how did you know? Were we that transparent," Brooke asked in a desperate voice, the fear in her eyes growing as she stared at him pleadingly. "No," Jake replied. "Then how-" Haley, who now walked up beside her, responded, "Brooke, Jake knew about us." "I know that, but I want to know how," Brooke said to Haley then turned back to look at Jake. "No, what I mean is that he knew about us because he knew about my feelings for you before we got together," Haley replied then she too faced Jake, "how did you know that we actually got together?"

"There were a few signs, like the way you touched each other. Haley, you would have your hand at her back and Brooke, you would lay your head on her shoulder. I saw the way you kept looking and smiling at each other, not to mention the little whispers you two would share at the café the other day. Oh, and the thing that really sealed it for me was when I had an interesting drive down to the beach last night…" Jake explained as once again, their mouths hung open. He laughed as Haley closed her mouth then opened it again as if to say something but nothing came out. She finally regained her voice and asked, "What were you doing down at the beach at midnight?" "I could ask you the same thing, but since I already know about your little midnight rendezvous, there's not really a point in doing that," he chuckled with a wide grin, "Jenny had been crying for a while and I couldn't get her to sleep so I took her for a little car ride. I guess the movement soothes her to sleep. I was driving by the beach and I saw two figures down on the sand then I saw Haley's car." "What exactly…" Brooke cleared her throat, "um, what exactly… were we doing?"

Jake smiled devilishly, "You were making mad love to each other. Gotta say, it was pretty hot." Haley punched him in the shoulder, staring at him in shock, "Jake!" He rubbed the spot where she'd hit him, "Ow! You better watch her Brooke, she's vicious." Brooke smiled and opened her mouth to reply when Haley pointed a finger warningly at her, "Don't you respond to that or you'll be sleeping on the couch tonight." Jake laughed loudly, "You've been dating for what, a week? And you're already acting like an old married couple!" Both girls crossed their arms and glared at him menacingly. Jake looked frightened as he responded, looking away from them, "Wow, it suddenly got really cold out here…"

A loud wail interrupted the silence and Haley rushed inside, followed by Jake and Brooke. Haley gently picked up the crying child and cradled her in her arms, moving her arms in a rocking motion, "Sh, there you go Jenny girl. You're alright," she tried to soothe the baby. Jenny stared up at her with her watery hazel brown eyes and started to calm down. Haley positioned Jenny against her chest as she kissed her forehead and patted her back. "Maybe you should move in with me. I could really use you when she wakes up crying during the night," Jake replied with a crooked grin. "Where would I sleep? I'm pretty sure your parents would mind if you had a girl sleeping in your bed, especially since you already have another girl in your life," she glanced pointedly at Jenny, who was now sucking on her thumb. "There's always the couch," he gestured to the raggedy, sunk-down sofa in the corner of the room.

"Nah, Brooke can sleep there. I'd rather take the floor and a sleeping bag," she joked. "Or Brooke could lie on the couch and you lie of top of her, that way you wouldn't technically be laying on the couch…" he paused for a moment, "hmm, I never thought of that… maybe we could start a threesome," he responded with a flirty smile. "Jake," Haley exclaimed loudly then glared threateningly at him again, "I would hit you right now if I didn't have a baby in my arms." Brooke hit him in the chest. "Thank you," Haley replied. "Oh no! It's the Terrible Two! They're ganging up on me," he placed both his hands on his cheeks and widened his eyes. Brooke slapped him in the back of his head and Jenny giggled. "You liked that, didn't you Jenny," Brooke tickled her tummy and she giggled even more. "You know, you're both very violent… you're a match made in heaven," Jake replied with a grin. Haley stared at him crossly for a moment, "I'm going to ignore that first part of your comment, but I'll take that last part as a compliment." "You're welcome," Jake replied.

Jenny began to whimper and Haley gently bounced her in her arms as she walked over to the sofa and sat down, "Jake, would you get me a bottle please?" He came back into the living room with a bottle of milk a few minutes later, "She probably isn't hungry; I just fed her an hour ago." Haley brought the bottle to Jenny's lips and she began to suck greedily and Haley looked up at him with a smirk, "Babies are always hungry, except when they're sick." Brooke sat down beside her and softly stroked the baby's head, leaning close against Haley. She looked up from the baby in her arms to Brooke, who was also staring down at Jenny. Brooke, sensing that Haley was watching her, raised her head and looked into her eyes, their faces only inches from each other. They leaned in and shared a gentle kiss. Realizing that they had an audience, Haley pulled away, blushing slightly in embarrassment. "That didn't make you feel uncomfortable, did it," she asked Jake sheepishly.

Jake shook his head and grinned, "No, it was sweet, and kind of hot." "Would you stop that? You're like Paris Hilton and her new catch phrase, 'That's hot'." "Come on Hales, what guy doesn't fantasize about seeing some girl-on-girl action, not to mention being part of a threesome," he wiggled his eyebrows flirtatiously. Haley rolled her eyes and groaned, "Ugh, you're such a guy. Why do I even stay friends with you?" "Oh, you know you love me," Jake responded. "Yeah whatever," Haley replied. Jenny finished her bottle and Brooke asked, "Can I hold her?" "Yeah, you have to burp her. Just pat her back gently. Oh, and here, take this," she placed a wash towel over Brooke's shoulder then carefully placed Jenny in her arms. Jake watched with adoration as Haley instructed Brooke how to burp the baby as their hands mingled on Jenny's back and they shared small smiles with each other, their eyes alight with love and happiness.

"You guys are going to make great parents someday," Jake said softly as he gazed at the two women with his daughter. Haley smiled up at him; there were no words needed, all the thanks was written in her eyes. Brooke smiled too, but Jake and Haley caught a flash of a frown come across her face before changing to a smile again. Haley resolved to talk about it with her later. Suddenly her cell phone rang and she pulled it out. "It's Karen," she replied before placing it to her ear, "Hey Karen, what's up?" "Haley, thank god I got a hold of you! I know it's your day off, but one of the waitresses called in sick and I can't get in contact with any of the other servers and we just got a new rush…" Karen replied sounding a little panicked. "Don't worry, I'm on my way," Haley responded as she stood from the couch, "I'll see you in fifteen minutes Karen."

She closed the phone and Brooke asked, "What's going on? Why do you have to leave?" "One of the servers called in sick at the café and Karen just got a new rush of customers so she needs help," Haley replied as she took the car keys from Brooke. "No Haley, it's your day off. I'll go; I need to pick up a few more shifts anyway. Will you and Brooke stay here and watch Jenny," Jake asked as he went to grab his jacket then walked over to the three girls. He leaned down and softly kissed his daughter's forehead then stroked the thin layer of hair covering her head, "Bye honey, I love you. Be good for Aunt Haley and Aunt Brooke, okay?" Jenny just gurgled in response. "Thanks Jake," Haley said as she hugged him. "No problem, Hales. I'll probably bring some food home but if you get hungry before then, there's food in the fridge. Help yourself to anything you want. The bottles and formula are also in the fridge, diapers and all her clothes are over there…" he gestured to the crib. "Yeah Jake, I know where everything is. You go the café; I'll call ahead and let Karen know you're coming instead of me." "Alright, I'll see you guys later," Jake waved as he headed towards the door. "Bye," both girls replied.

After Brooke had burped Jenny, they both played with Jenny and her toys on the floor for a little while then they laid back on the couch, with Jenny lying against Haley's breast on her stomach. Haley rubbed slow circles on the girl's back as she soothed the baby into slumber. Brooke lay with her head on Haley's shoulder, stroking Jenny's head. Haley leaned over and softly kissed Brooke on the lips, "This could be us someday." "Yeah," Brooke responded quietly, frowning once more before giving her a small smile. Haley rose from her spot and gently laid Jenny in her crib then returned to the couch. She took Brooke's hand into her own and gazed at her with concerned eyes, "What's wrong?"

"We're never going to be able to have a baby of our own, you know," Brooke replied sadly. "I know," Haley said with a hint of confusion in her voice, not quite understanding what she was saying. Brooke sensed this confusion and elaborated, "I mean, a baby that's completely ours, yours and mine." "Oh," Haley replied, now understanding. "There would always be a part of it that wouldn't be from us." Haley nodded silently. "I mean, I know we'd have to adopt or do in-vitro, but the baby would never be totally, completely, biologically ours. I wish we could have a baby of our own; one that's just ours, only ours," Brooke replied in the same melancholy tone. Haley rubbed her back slowly then hugged her, "Me too."

Brooke laughed and rubbed at the tears that had welled in her eyes, "Look at us, we're only seventeen and here we are talking about kids already." "Jake didn't plan to have kids at seventeen. Plus, I'm eighteen, I'm older than you," Haley pointed out. "Yeah, but we'd have to plan a lot just to even get pregnant…" Brooke would have continued if Haley hadn't placed her hands on each of her cheeks and covered Brooke's mouth with her own. Haley kissed her nose and stared into her brown eyes, "Sh, we can talk about this later. I want to finish high school and college before we have a baby, we'll be more settled. But I want it to be the right time too." Brooke weaved her fingers into Haley's hair as she kissed her then pressed their foreheads together after they parted, "You're amazing, you know that? I love you so much." "I love you too," Haley replied as she kissed her cheek then lay back down onto the couch, pulling Brooke on top of her, and then pressed her lips to Brooke's in a long, tender kiss that soon became passionate.

Around eight that evening, Jake entered his house and was caught by surprise. Brooke and Haley were furiously making out as they lay on top of each other on the couch. "Now that's more like it," Jake smirked as he watched the two scramble to sit up then replied with an innocent expression, "Gee, did I interrupt something?" They straightened their clothes and tried to smooth their tousled hair. Brooke responded in a nervous tone, "Uh no, we were just… uh, we were…" "Making out like there was no tomorrow," Jake added with a raised eyebrow, his smirk growing even wider. Haley spotted the bag of food he carried and said, "What did you bring to eat?" "Burgers and fries," he answered as he set the food on the coffee table, "How has Jenny been? Or have you even noticed through your make-out session?" He grinned at them as they both blushed. "She's been a perfect angel. She slept most of the afternoon, but a few times she woke up and we fed and changed her," Haley responded. "You clowns might want to go wash up before you eat," he replied then stared up at them with a laughing smile, "You have Brooke's lipstick all over your faces." They blushed an even darker shade of red if it were possible.

As they ate dinner, Jake asked, "Why don't you guys stay for awhile? We can watch some movies or something. I could use the company." Both Brooke and Haley noticed the sadness in his eyes and voice. Haley stared at him sympathetically as she placed a hand on his shoulder, "It must be really hard for you, huh?" "Yeah, it's so hard to keep my life in balance. I have to go to school and basketball practice, work, study, and take care of Jenny. What little time I have left I spend with my friends. It gets lonely sometimes. I mean, life would be so much easier if I didn't have Jenny. I could be a kid again. But I wouldn't trade her for the world. She is my world." He stood and went over to the crib, gazing lovingly down at his sleeping daughter.

"We're here whenever you need us," Brooke piped in, "if you ever need a friend or a babysitter for Jenny, but no threesomes." She added with a smile when she saw Jake open his mouth to say something. He closed his mouth and walked over to them, standing between them and hooking his arms over their shoulders, he asked, "So what movies do two fine-looking women such as yourselves want to watch?" Haley and Brooke looked at each other for a moment then smiled as they responded in unison, "Bring It On Again!" Jake covered his face with his hands and dragged his fingers down along his skin, "Oh god, not a chick flick!" "Well, what did you have in mind," Brooke asked. "I was thinking more along the lines of But, I'm A Cheerleader," he smirked.

"Hell no, I don't like that movie. My parents would probably send me to one of those insane asylums if they ever found out about me and Haley…" Realizing her own words, she sighed heavily and sank down onto the couch, covering her face with her hands. "Jake, could you leave us alone for a few minutes," Haley requested as she sat down beside her girlfriend and rubbed her back slowly. He nodded and silently left the room. "God Hales, what are we going to do? My parents would never accept us…" "Brooke sweetie, look at me," Haley demanded gently and when she did, she cupped Brooke's cheeks, caressing the smooth skin with her thumbs, "I love you. There's no questioning that, and I would never leave you. But you have to realize that we may lose some people along the way, once we tell everyone. Are you willing to risk being with me if there's a chance that you might lose your parents or possibly even your friends? Because if you aren't, please tell me right now."

Haley's eyes searched Brooke's wildly, moving from side to side at so fast a pace it probably would have made someone dizzy just looking at them. Brooke sighed again and closed her eyes, a few tears escaping as her lids drooped down. For a moment, Haley became panicked, but exhaled a deep breath of relief when Brooke took her hand. "Yes," Brooke replied, now staring up into Haley's brown doe eyes, "yes, I'm willing to take the risk." Haley's lips trembled with emotion and her eyes filled with tears as she wrapped her arms around Brooke's neck and pulled her tight to her body. They stayed like that for several minutes with Brooke holding her tightly and Haley stroking her hair as she kissed near the base of Brooke's neck, a comfort spot she'd found recently.

"Can I come out now or do I have to plug my ears so I don't have to listen to you two doing it all night," Jake called out a few moments later. "Jacob Aiden Jagielski," Haley exclaimed in an angry tone. "Uh oh Jen, Daddy's in trouble. Aunt Haley used the full name," Jake responded as he stepped from the hallway holding the baby. "Jake, we are not…intimate… in that way. You should know that after the whole big fight between Lucas, Nathan, and me," Haley responded in a stern tone, her arms crossed. "I know, I was just kidding," Jake replied. "You had better be," she warned.

"So, movies," Jake suggested as he sat on the couch. "I don't know, what do you think," Brooke asked. "American Pie 2," he raised an eyebrow and smiled, "I hear it has some pretty good girl action in there." "Jake, get your mind out of the gutter, would you," Haley responded. "Okay, okay, stopping now," he raised a hand in surrender. "How about that movie, Honey? You know the one with Jessica Alba from Dark Angel? She's kind of hot," Brooke winked at Haley. "Sounds good to me," Jake replied. "Alright, I'm in," Haley responded as she put the tape in the VCR.

An hour later, both Brooke and Jake were asleep on the couch and Jenny in her crib. The video was on low volume as she cleaned up all their trash from dinner and then snacks afterward. Once she was done with that, she stood behind the sofa, not wanting to disturb her sleeping friends, as she watched the movie. A dance part came on and for some unexplainable reason, she felt like dancing too. She was so happy in her life right at that moment. She had great friends, a wonderful girlfriend, good grades; she had everything going for her. She began to mimic the dances moves on the movie and when the routine ended, she heard a voice. "Nice moves, Hales. Didn't know you could dance like that," Brooke mumbled sleepily. "You weren't supposed to be watching; I thought you were asleep," Haley replied as she sat on the arm of the couch next to Brooke. "Yeah well, your pounding on the floor didn't help any." "Sorry," Haley whispered, "we should probably get going. It's past eleven already and we have school tomorrow."

Brooke nodded then carefully stood and stretched. Haley gently shook Jake awake, "Jake, Brooke and I are going to head home, it's late. You should go to bed too. Jenny is in her crib and I fed and changed her about twenty minutes ago. We'll see you tomorrow at school." "No, you guys stay here. I don't want you two out this late at night. You two take my bed, I'll crash on the couch." "No, you sleep in your own bed. We'll take the couch," Haley protested. Jake rubbed his face as he sat up, "I'm too tired to argue with you. I'll get some blankets and pillows." Brooke and Haley positioned themselves comfortably in the small space of the couch with Haley lying on top of Brooke, their arms wrapped around each other. Jake returned with the blankets and pillows and gave them a tired smirk, "The couch pulls out into a bed, you know." "You could have told us that before," Haley responded, "but we're pretty comfortable like this."

"I can see that," he replied, "just don't go blaming me if one of you falls onto the floor during the night." "We won't," Brooke replied, "oh and Jake, could you wake us up early so we can go home and get changed for school?" He nodded then gave them a slight wave, "Goodnight you two." "Night Jake," they replied as he turned out the light and headed to his bedroom. There were only the sounds of their breathing for a few minutes when Brooke suddenly chuckled quietly, "I guess I ended up sleeping on the couch tonight after all." "So did I," Haley giggled along with her. Brooke's mouth sought Haley's in the darkness, "Night Hales." "Night Tigger," Haley responded after they parted and laid her head in the crook of Brooke's neck, breathing her scent in deeply and closing her eyes.

In the middle of the night, Haley, ever the light sleeper, woke to a small whimpering cry. She carefully crawled off Brooke and walked over to Jenny's crib, peering down into it. The baby stared up at her with watery eyes as she kicked her legs in a small tantrum. Haley gently picked her up and positioned her on her chest, patting the baby's back to comfort her. "Sh, Jenny girl. You don't want to wake up Daddy or Aunt Brooke, do you? What's the matter, little girl? Why are you crying," Haley talked to the child in a whispering tone, "How about some nice warm milk, huh? I bet that will make you feel better." While the bottle heated up, Haley got her to stop crying and changed her diaper. She cradled the child in her arms as she fed her and whispered small talk into her ear. Once Jenny was burped, Haley tried to get her to go back to sleep but she wouldn't have any of it. An idea sprang to mind when she thought of those sleepless nights spent with Ryan when he was fussy or had colic. She turned on the stereo real low to a station with soft music and adjusted the baby to her left side, Jenny's head lying over her heart. Haley began to sway to the music, lightly moving over the wooden floor of the living room as she rubbed the girl's back in soothing circles.

Several minutes later, Haley felt two arms wrap around her waist and a kiss on her temple. "Sorry I woke you," Haley said quietly, "I couldn't get Jenny to go back to sleep." "That's alright," Brooke replied as she laid her head against the back of Haley's neck and began to sway along with her. "Come here," Haley moved out of her embrace and wrapped her right arm around Brooke's waist, pulling her close to her side. Brooke placed her left hand on Haley's right shoulder and laid her head there as she stroked the baby's head with her right. Haley kissed Brooke's forehead, but it was not enough for her and she found Brooke's lips, pressing hers against them in a long passionate kiss that seemed to stop time around them as they held the baby between them and danced slowly to the music.

They finally got Jenny to sleep half an hour and about nine or ten songs later, after changing her once more. As they lowered her into the crib though, she let out a small cry again and Haley held her to her chest. "Oh Jen, what are we going to do with you," she sighed as she walked over to the couch and leaned back as she lifted her legs onto the coffee table. Brooke sat beside her as Haley kissed the baby's forehead and closed her eyes. Brooke stroked Haley's hair and noticed her girlfriend beginning to nod off. "Why don't you get some sleep Hales, I'll take care of Jenny." Haley mumbled a thanks and gave her a sloppy wet kiss with half-closed eyes as she handed Jenny over then laid down and curled up on the far end of the couch. Brooke stood and moved the hair from Haley's face, kissing her cheek gently. Brooke gathered a pillow and one of the blankets Jake had given them then carefully positioned herself in a small overstuffed armchair next to the sofa, placing her legs over the armrest and laying her head against the other, cradling Jenny against her. "We'll just lie here for a little while, okay Jen? Then you have to go sleep in your own bed," she murmured as she closed her eyes. Jake, who had been watching from the hallway for some time, smiled and retreated back to his bedroom.

The next morning, Brooke woke up with a start. She was still in the chair, but there was no Jenny in her arms! She began to panic as she struggled to sit up and called out for her friends, "Haley! Jake! Jenny's gone!" Haley sat up immediately at hearing the screaming, "What? Jenny's gone? How could she get out of her crib?" Brooke was now in a hysterical fit of tears, "L-Last night, when I took her from you, I laid with her in the armchair and I was going to put her back in her crib once she fell asleep, but I guess I dozed off… Oh god, she could be hurt! I will never forgive myself if Jenny gets hurt!" Jake stumbled into the living room, rubbing his face, "What's with all the racket?" Brooke raced over to him, grabbing the sides of his muscular arms so tightly that even he flinched as she stared at him with pleading, frightened eyes, "I'm so sorry, Jake! I'm so, so sorry! I can't find Jenny! I was holding her last night, trying to get her to sleep and I guess I fell asleep and when I woke up this morning she was gone and-and… I'm so sorry!"

Jake calmly placed his hands on her shoulders, "Brooke, it's okay…" Brooke interrupted him, screaming, "No! No, it's not okay! I should have put her in her crib. I shouldn't have fallen asleep! A-And now she could be hurt. God, I was so irresponsible!" Now Jake cut her off, shaking her slightly, "Brooke, it's alright. Jenny's with my parents. They took her this morning around five." "Thank god," Brooke exclaimed as she let out a huge sigh of relief then her eyes widened, "what time is it?" She glanced around for a clock and saw that it was nearly seven. "Shit! Jake, I told you to wake us up early! Now we don't have time to go home and change clothes! We're going to be late for school!" She began to scurry around the living room, gathering her stuff, as did Haley. "You guys can borrow some of my clothes if you want so you won't be late," Jake replied as he scratched the back of his head. "Thanks Jake," Haley replied quickly, "can I use your shower? I'll be really fast." "Sure, go ahead," he replied. "I call the shower second," Brooke responded.

Jake and the two girls arrived at school actually with ten minutes to spare. They entered the building with Jake in the middle and a girl on each arm. They went to Haley's locker first, which was thankfully close to Jake's. As they walked towards the row of lockers to Brooke's, Nathan, Lucas, and Peyton approached. "Hey Jake," Lucas greeted him with a smile. "What's with the entourage of groupies," he asked then noticed what Haley and Brooke were wearing and narrowed his eyebrows suspiciously, "and why are they wearing your clothes?" Brooke was wearing one of Jake's black muscle shirts that prominently showed off her breasts and a pair of gray sweats that was rolled low around the waist and the leggings pulled up to mid-calf. Haley wore a long-sleeved blue and white Ravens basketball team shirt with Jake's number, 07, and his name on the back and a pair of blue track pants to match the shirt.

"Brooke, you look like hell," Luke responded as he took in her listless, tired demeanor, her tousled hair, and the bags under her half-closed eyes. She raised her hand and gave him the finger. "So, why are you three arriving together, and in Jake's clothes," he asked them. "Well, we got kind of drunk last night and then we got a pretty good threesome going…" "Jake," Haley exclaimed in shock as she jabbed him in the side with her elbow. "Gee Hales, didn't know you had it in you," Nathan smirked. "Nah, they're just really tired because they played a day in the life of a teenage parent yesterday. They babysat Jenny for me yesterday while I worked at the café and then we watched movies all night, so they crashed at my place. We woke up late so they didn't have time to go home and get dressed." "Ah, that explains it," Peyton replied, "Jenny keep you up?" Both girls nodded mutely. The bell soon rang and everyone parted, except for Jake and Haley, who had first hour Chemistry together.

Later that day after school, Brooke sat on the bleachers with Haley as she watched the other cheerleaders practice. She studied them closely for any flaws in their routines and made mental notes on who to talk to. She noticed that one of the cheerleaders was missing, Katrina Combs, known to her friends and some of the other cheerleaders as KC. Brooke didn't really like the girl but she was a damn good gymnast and could really do those back handsprings. She would have fired her from the squad a long time ago if it hadn't been for that. As the girls practiced flips and various routines, Peyton walked up to them and sat beside Brooke. "So what do you think," Peyton asked her friend. "Katrina's missing again," she stated grimly with a tight frown. "I know. I swear that girl's got more absences than the number of days she's actually been here. What about the rest of the squad," Peyton replied with a disappointed shake of her head. "They look pretty good…" Brooke replied then shouted out to the girls, "Maggie! Throw that candy bar away, it'll make you gain five pounds! Veronica, stop doing so many round-offs! You're going to hurt your ankle like you did last year!" Brooke huffed out a frustrated sigh as her eyes widened and covered her face with her hands, "I swear, if we didn't look out for those girls, they'd be like seventy or eighty year old grannies with saggy potbellies in cheerleading uniforms. Not a pretty sight." Peyton scrunched her face in disgust, "Ew." Haley lightly ran her hand up and down the side of Brooke's arm, "Brooke, calm down. No stress, remember?" "I know, I know," Brooke sighed.

"Can I talk to you for a few minutes," Peyton tugged on the arm of Brooke's sweatshirt and when Brooke nodded but made no move to get up, she said as she glanced at Haley, "alone?" She followed Peyton to a row of bleachers further down near the court and they sat down. "What's up Peyt," Brooke asked. "Do you want to go do something together this afternoon?" "Sorry, but Haley and I kind of have plans…" Brooke noticed a dark look and a frown form on her face but it quickly passed and Brooke asked concernedly, "What's wrong?" Peyton crossed her arms over her chest and stared down at her feet, "It's nothing." Brooke became angry that her friend wouldn't tell her and began to shout, "Don't lie to me, Peyton, it is not nothing! You tell me right now what is going on, P. Sawyer!" Peyton let out a strangled cry and then a choked sob escaped her lips. Never in her twelve years of knowing Peyton did Brooke ever see her cry, at least not like this.

Brooke rubbed her back comfortingly as she demanded gently, "Tell me." She cried for a few more minutes before she finally regained some of her breath, "I-I hardly ever see you anymore and we never hang out. And when we do, she's always with you." "Who? Haley," Brooke inquired and when Peyton nodded, she responded, "but you two are best friends…" "We are, but I just want to spend time with you, only you. You're hanging out with her so much lately that I feel that we're drifting apart…that I'm losing my best friend…that I-I'm being re-…replaced…" she choked on another sob and large tears cascaded down her cheeks. Brooke hugged her tightly, "I'm so sorry, Peyt. You are my best friend and always will be. You will never be replaced as my best friend, never. It's just that Haley and I have become really good friends since I've been staying with her. She's fun and energetic, she makes me feel happy. I can be myself with her like I can with you. She makes me feel good about myself, she makes me want to be a better person. Hell, she befriended Nathan and made him a better person. That's a feat in itself."

Peyton let out a light chuckle as she wiped the tears from her cheeks, "Yeah." "Listen, why don't you and I spend the rest of the day together, just the two of us," Brooke suggested as she linked an arm through Peyton's. "But what about your plans with Haley," she asked uncertainly. "We can always do that another time, but right now, you and me have got a date with the mall. How about it Goldilocks?" Peyton smiled at her with shiny, watery eyes, "I'd like that." "Then let's go! Just give me and minute and I'll go tell Haley the plan," Brooke responded as she jumped up and walked up to the row Haley was sitting on. "Hey Hales, I know we had plans tonight, but I really need to spend some time with Peyton…" Haley raised her hand and smiled, "It's okay, go ahead." "Thanks Hales," Brooke grinned and gave her a one-armed hug as she whispered in her ear, "I'll kiss you later." Brooke bounded down the steps to where Peyton was waiting and waved up to her as they started walking out of the gym. Haley stared sadly after them then made her own way down the stands and raced out the opposite side of the gym. She had heard everything.

She needed to keep busy. Anything to keep her mind from replaying the conversation between Brooke and Peyton over and over in her head. Anything to keep her from breaking down and crying. She decided that some basketball down at the rivercourt would help keep her mind off things. Thankfully the court was empty and she could be alone in all her solitude. Haley bounced the ball a few times before she held it in her hands and stared at the world around her. Snow lay piled on the sides of the road, the streets having been cleared that morning. The trees stood bare and the sky gray overhead. It mirrored her mood right now: bleak and bare, empty.

Haley attempted a few shots but none made the basket. In anger, she hurled the ball at the backboard and it flew back at her. She artfully dodged it and slumped her shoulders as she felt the pressure behind her eyes rise. She heard a voice behind her, "Gee Hales, is it just me or are your basketball skills getting worse? And after all I've taught you." Lucas walked up to her holding the ball, shaking his head as he smiled. He stopped a few inches from her in concern, noticing her just standing there with her arms crossed, her shoulders hunched, and looking ready to collapse into tears. She smiled only for a moment then it quickly faded away as she looked down at the ground. "Hey, you okay," Lucas asked worriedly as he touched her arm. She nodded in response then began to turn away, "Yeah, I'm fine. I um… I'm just going to go. I have some stuff to do. See you later Luke." "Hales…" he started but she just waved with her back turned to him as she walked off. "Luke, wait," Haley called a few seconds later and he turned back around to find her running towards him. She stopped before him in the same position, her shoulders hunched, ready to cry. Haley lifted her arms open to him, "Can I please have a hug? I really need one right now." He nodded them enveloped her in a tight embrace. She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him as she finally released some of the tears she had been holding back. After a few minutes she finally pulled away and wiped her eyes, "Thanks Luke." "No problem," he brushed a few strands away from her face, "you going to be okay?" She nodded in affirmation, "I will be. Now I really have to go. I'll see you later." With that she headed to her car.

Haley decided that going to the hospital would be another way to keep her mind off the conversation so she headed over there. Once she entered through the doors, she looked around uncomfortably with her arms crossed. Thankfully though, a familiar voice called out to her, "Haley! Hey Haley!" She turned and saw Toni walking towards her and smiled. They embraced each other, "Hey Toni! Jeez, do you work here like every day? When do you sleep? You're here every time I come in." The older woman chuckled, "Yeah, I'm usually here every day except when I work a twenty-four hour shift, then I get a day off." Haley replied, "That's cool." "Alright let's get you started. Come with me and I'll get you a pair of scrubs," Toni guided her to a closet down the hall. She handed Haley a light purple scrub top with baby animals on it and a pair of regular light blue scrub pants. "All the people in the pediatric ward wear these," Toni explained, "the lounge is right this way. There's a bathroom where you can change and I'll set you up with a locker for your things." "Thanks for everything Toni, I really appreciate it," Haley responded sincerely. "Not a problem. Oh, and I will need to get your picture for an I.D. pass so you can get in and everything. There's coffee, tea, and juice is in the fridge. We always have food around here so if you get hungry, help yourself. And you know where the cafeteria is. Do you need anything else," Toni asked. "Nope, I'm pretty good here," Haley responded. "Alright, come and get me if you need anything," she said as she patted her shoulder. "I will," Haley replied, smiling and waving to her as Toni went to go check on some of her patients.

Haley made her way to the pediatric ward and was quickly put to work by one of the nurses. She was ushered into a room with a sobbing little girl as she held her leg close to her chest rocking back and forth as she screamed, "Mommy! I want my mommy!" Haley slowly pulled a chair over to the bed so as not to startle the frightened child. She then tried the approach she had used with Jake, the little boy she'd helped calm down last week. "Hi, my name is Haley. What's yours?" The young girl replied as she sniffled, "S-Sarah." "Wow, that's a pretty name. I like it much better than mine. What do you think? Do I look like a Sarah?" Sarah cocked her head to the side, studying her, "Maybe." "So what do you like to do Sarah," Haley asked as she scooted closer to the bed. "Um, I like to play with stuffed aminals and Barbies and house and dress-up," she replied her in five-year-old voice. "That is so cool! Do you have the Barbie playhouse or the van?" "Yeah! It's awesome," Sarah responded, her face brightening.

A nurse came in holding an ace bandage and a brace, "Okay Sarah, I'm going to get you all fixed up now." The woman wrapped the bandage from her foot to about halfway up her shin then put on the brace. "Now, I want you to wear this for two weeks, okay? Then you can take it off but you must keep the bandage on. You shouldn't walk around on that leg for a week so I'm going to give you some crutches, or if you don't want those, I can get you a wheelchair." "I'm a big girl, I can use the crutches," Sarah replied proudly. "I will go get those then," the nurse turned to Haley and smiled, "thank you for watching her. I think there's a little boy in Exam Room 4 that could need your help." "No problem, and thanks," Haley replied before saying goodbye to Sarah then leaving the room to search for Exam Room 4. She stopped when she felt a hand on her arm and a deep male voice, "Hey, shouldn't you be in bed young lady? Are you lost? What room are you in?" Haley blushed as she faced a young doctor probably in his early twenties, possibly twenty-two, "I um, I'm not a patient, but I am kind of lost. I just started working here today and I still don't know where some of the different rooms are. Can you tell me where Exam Room 4 is?" "Oh sorry, I didn't notice an I.D. on you so I thought you were a patient. Exam 4 is down the hall and to your right. Oh, and good luck. Maybe I'll see you around." He flashed her a wide smile before walking off.

An hour and a half later, Toni walked into the lounge to find Haley sitting on the couch holding a cup of coffee between her hands as she stared outside the window, deeply engrossed in whatever she was thinking about. "Penny for your thoughts," Toni asked as she sat down beside her. Haley shook herself from her reverie, "What?" The older woman saw the sad look in her eyes and deduced that something had probably happened with Brooke. "Girl trouble?" Haley shrugged, "Not exactly…" "Did you and Brooke have a fight," Toni inquired concernedly as she placed a hand on Haley's shoulder. "No, it's more like best girl friend trouble. Ever since Brooke and I got together about a week ago, we've been spending almost all our time together, plus if you add up the week and a half she spent at my house to recover then the week she stayed with me when… well, it all amounts to a lot of time spent only with each other and no one else. One of my best friends, Peyton, is also Brooke's best friend and they've been friends since like forever like me and my best friend Lucas. Well, she talked to Brooke today and I wasn't eavesdropping or anything, but I overheard their conversation. Peyton was really upset about not having spent any time with Brooke lately because we've always been together. But what really hurt is that Peyton said that she felt she was being replaced by me as Brooke's best friend…" Haley began to cry, some of the tears she'd desperately tried to hold back falling down her cheeks.

Toni hugged her and rubbed her back, "Haley, you need to talk to Brooke about this. I think you two need to work some things out, like arrange some time where you can hang out with your friends alone, not just together. Go home, Haley, and talk to Brooke." "Thank you," Haley replied as she hugged Toni back then stood. Something then finally sunk into Toni's mind, "Wait, did you say you and Brooke only got together a week ago? But when Brooke was first in the hospital… I saw you…" Haley smiled at her as she turned a bright shade of pink, "Let's just say that Brooke had some wishful thinking that came true, and I did too." Toni blushed, "God, I feel so embarrassed…" "Don't be," Haley replied as she shook her head then grabbed her belongings from her locker, "I'll see you later, and thanks again Toni." "No problem Haley," the older woman replied as she waved goodbye to her.

Later that evening, Brooke arrived back at Haley's house after a wonderful afternoon out with Peyton. They'd gone to the mall and shopped while they talked and caught each other up on their lives, which a majority of it was from Peyton because all the new developments in Brooke's life couldn't be disclosed yet. She entered the house and tossed her keys onto the table by the door then set down her purse and jacket as she made her way down the hall to the living room. When she reached the living room, she was shocked to see Haley curled up in a corner of the couch, crying. Brooke sat down beside her and placed a hand on her knee concernedly, "Hales, what's wrong?" Haley quickly swiped at her cheeks then gave her a small smile to try and convince Brooke that she was okay, "Nothing's wrong. How was your day with Peyton?" Brooke noticed how fake that smile was because she had seen it so many times before, on her own face and those of others. "Bull," she replied, "now tell me what's got you crying?"

Haley sucked in a deep breath, trying to muster all the courage and will power she could, "I-I think we should take a break…" Tears formed in Brooke's eyes as her chin and bottom lip began to tremble, "What? Why? Was it something I did? Or something I didn't do? Are-Are you breaking up with me? What did I do wrong?" Haley cupped her cheeks softly and stroked her smooth skin with her thumbs, "Oh baby, no…" Haley's heart broke even more at causing the pained and scared look in her girlfriend's eyes. "I love you, you know that," she moves her hands from her face and looks away, "I just- I heard what Peyton said today and… I just think that maybe we need to cool it down a little bit, not spend so much time together. I mean, I haven't really spent any alone time with Lucas in weeks and Nathan even longer. And if Jake, even if he knew about my feelings for you, noticed our closeness then the others will probably figure it out soon too." Brooke nodded silently, still trying to process what Haley had said to her.

Haley noticed the sad look in her eyes and placed her hands on the sides of her shoulders, "Hey, it doesn't mean that we can't see each other. I just mean that we should make some more time to spend with our friends; we don't have to be together 24/7. I don't want to ruin any friendships, yours and mine. Please understand, I-" She was cut off by Brooke saying softly, "Do you want me to stay tonight? Because I can go home…" "Of course I want you to stay," Haley replied. "But I thought… you said…" "Our friends aren't here, silly. We have to house to ourselves. I wonder what we could do," Haley joked. "Sleep," Brooke responded, looking quite drained. "Now that's an answer I never thought would come out of your mouth," Haley smiled at her. "Oh come here you," Brooke replied as she pulled Haley to her body and kissed her passionately on the lips.


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! Okay, so I know you all want to kill me for neglecting this story so much, but I had MAJOR, KILLER writer's block for this chapter because it's mostly a filler for the next chapter which will have some drama. Very little Baley in this chapter, but lots of Lucas/Haley friendship hang time. I know this chapter really sucks, but bear with me, there will be lots of Baley in the next one! Hope you guys like it! As always, please read and review! Happy Easter everyone!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **PG to PG-13

P.S. – I FINALLY got One Tree Hill Season 1 on DVD! Yay! The only problem is the only DVD player we have is the one in the living room and my dad hogs that TV all the time… Grr…

P.S. again - Sorry for all the mistakes. I just finished typing this chapter up at about... oh, 12:30 midnight to one in the morning so please forgive me.

**In the Presence of an Angel **

**Chapter 17**

Haley was lying on her bed beside Brooke when the phone rang. She rolled off the bed and rose to answer it, "Hello?" "Hey Hales, it's me," the voice said on the other line. "Me who? I don't know any Me's," she responded with a smile. "It's your best friend in the whole wide world. Who do you think it is?" "Ohhh, hey Brooke, how are you," Haley replied as she laughed inwardly with a twinkle in both her eyes. "What! Brooke? Haley, I don't have a girly voice and I definitely don't have breasts," the voice replied loudly into the receiver. "Hmm, good to know. Jake then?" "No," they answered, becoming irritated. "Nathan," Haley asked. "For god sakes Haley, it's me, Lucas! You know, tall, blonde, has been your best friend since we were like two years old," Lucas yelled into the phone. "Ohh, that best friend," Haley said as she chuckled, "how are you Luke?" All during this time, Brooke laughed silently because Haley had him on speaker phone. "Funny Hales, but I'm fine. I just wanted to ask if you wanted to hang out tonight?" "Sure, name the place and the time," Haley replied.

"My house in thirty minutes. That okay with you," he asked. "Yep, what do I need to bring?" "A change of clothes, toothbrush, and a pair of pajamas, preferably any skimpy lingerie you happen to have," he tried to say seriously without his voice shaking from the laughter bubbling within him. "Should I bring my whip and chains too," Haley asked coyly with a smirk on her face. Lucas was caught totally off guard by her comment, not expecting that kind of response. However, he quickly recovered, "Bring 'em on." Then he added, "Oh and Hales? Don't forget Mr. Waffles, I know you can't sleep without him." She laughed, "Then you better get Bankie out because I know how scared you get if you don't have him." "No I don't," he protested. "Bye Luke," Haley replied sweetly, "see you in a little bit." After Haley hung up, Brooke burst out laughing. "That was hilarious…priceless…" Brooke managed to get out.

After the laughter died down, Haley replied in a sad tone, "I hate leaving you here all by yourself. I feel like I'm ditching you." "I'll be fine. You go have fun with Luke," Brooke responded as she walked over and hugged her tight. "Alright. Hey, why don't you give Peyton a call and see if she wants to do something tonight," Haley asked. "Okay, maybe I will," the brunette replied. Haley gathered her stuff together and got her keys off the kitchen counter. She walked back into her room and said to Brooke, "Okay, I'm gonna go. Call me if you need anything?" Brooke nodded and hugged her as she let out a short laugh, "No fooling around now." "With Luke, there's always fooling around," Haley replied, a smirk on her face. "Should I be worried," Brooke gave her a fake worried expression. "Nah, you're my girlfriend. He's just my boy toy," she replied with a large grin and laughter in her voice. "I don't know how I should take that," Brooke responded. Haley kissed her softly, lasting several minutes. "Love you," she said before placing another chaste kiss on her lips, "I'll see you tomorrow morning." "Love you too," Brooke replied as she hugged her then waved goodbye as Haley walked out the door. Brooke shoved her hands in her pockets as she looked around at the empty house and sighed. She needed to get out and do something. So she decided to take Haley's advice and called Peyton.

When Peyton answered the phone, Brooke smiled, "Hey P. Sawyer. It's your best friend B. Davis and I have a plan. What is it, you say? I'll tell you. It involves your bed with lots of pillows, a couple movies, and eating junk food that we'll regret in the morning. How about it?" "Sounds great. It'll be a girls night in. So what food are you providing?" "Nope, I'm getting the movies this time; you get the food, and don't forget the ice cream," Brooke replied. "Okay, and Brooke," Peyton asked just before they hung up. "Yeah?" "Don't get any pornos. You may be a sex-a-holic but that shit's gross." "Hey, I'm not a sex-a-holic! And that was just one time! I wasn't looking at what I was grabbing because I was busy flirting with one of the cute boys working there," Brooke protested loudly. "Fine, a nymphomaniac then," Peyton replied dryly. "There's a difference," Brooke asked. "Well no, but nymphomaniac just seems like a better word, don't you think," Peyton responded sweetly. "Not on my end," Brooke replied then shook her hand to get back on her train of thought, "anyway, I'll see you in about an hour?" "Yep, I'll be here," Peyton answered before they said their goodbyes and hung up.

"Hey Hales, are you ready to go," Lucas asked as he opened the door for her. She got a confused look on her face, "I thought we were having a movie marathon sleepover?" "I changed my mind. We're going out tonight," he grabbed his jacket from the back of the couch. "Let me just set my stuff down in your room," Haley replied as she walked past him and down the hallway, returning a minute later. "Okay, I'm ready. Let's go," she responded as she bounded out the still open door.

"Yes! I love Friday Night Double Feature," Haley cheered when they reached the movie theatre. Lucas laughed, "You know, it's amazing how the simplest little things make you happy." "I know, I'm weird like that, aren't I?" She stuck out her tongue at him playfully. "Definitely," he replied with a smile. She pushed him lightly in the chest then responded, "So what movies do we want to watch tonight?" "Um, I don't know. You pick one first then I'll choose the other," he suggested. "Okay, how about Raise Your Voice?" "Hmm, alright, I pick Bring It On Again," he replied. "What? Lucas Scott is picking a chick flick! How very manly of you," Haley responded with a smirk, "but that is my favorite movie, good choice." "What can I say, I have a thing for cheerleaders," he grinned at her. "I do too," Haley replied and at Lucas' raised eyebrow, she realized what she'd said and tried to cover it up, "you know, because two of my best friends are cheerleaders." He nodded in understanding then asked, "Let me guess… An extra large tub of butter popcorn, two large Cokes, Gummy Bears, Raisinets, and some Sour Patch Kids?" "You got it, Bud," Haley replied as she linked arms with him and they walked up to the line at the concession stand.

"I'm glad you came with me tonight, Hales," he smiled at her. "Right back at ya, Boo," she smiled at him then patted his arm. "I know a lot has changed this year Hales, but one thing I don't want to change is our friendship. We've kind of drifted apart a little over the past couple months and I know that, for the most part, it was because of me. I was busy with the basketball team and Brooke, and Peyton. Then Nathan walked into your life and you two became friends. So I distanced myself from you a little because I couldn't be around him, couldn't stand to see you with him, even if it was just tutoring or hanging out. I have to admit, I was a little jealous of the friendship he had formed with you. It was like he was taking my place…I don't want to lose you Hales. You're my friend; my best friend…" His eyes welled up a little with tears and they shone from his intense blue irises. Haley placed her hand comfortingly on his back, "Oh Luke, no… No one could ever replace you, Luke. We've been friends since we were like two years old. Nothing can come between us." She took his chin in her hand and made him look at her at this last line. She stared into his eyes, asking herself if that was really true, and searching for an answer.

How would he react, what would he do, when he found out about her and Brooke? Would their friendship stand that test? Would he scream, yell, cry? It scared her to think about it all. She didn't want to lose her best friend. She was very afraid now. When she had asked Brooke if she was willing to lose some of her friends to be with her, Haley hadn't thought about Lucas. He had been there for her ever since they were young; it was only natural to think that he would still be her friend after telling him the news. What if he didn't accept them? What if he didn't want to be her friend anymore?

Lucas wrapped her in a hug, "I love you Hales; you're my best friend. You always will be." "You'll always be my best friend too Luke," Haley replied softly, hoping that wouldn't prove to be wrong when he found out. He patted her shoulder, "Come on, let's get our munchies then find some seats. The movie is about to start." They waited in line for about five minutes before they finally got their snacks and made their way to the theatre. Soon, the previews started and they laughed at the dancing and singing foods and beverages and the funny little cartoons. Then the lights darkened and the feature presentation began.

"Luke, stop it. That's mean," Haley remarked an hour later, poking him in the side, after he threw some popcorn at two people talking and laughing loudly three or four rows below them. He threw some popcorn at her. She scoffed at him with wide eyes and an open mouth then threw a Gummy Bear at him. "Oh it's on," Lucas replied with a grin as he began to tickle her. She started giggling loudly and tried to push him off with one hand as she covered her mouth with her other one, trying to quiet the noise she was making. "Shh, Luke! Stop…tickling…me…We're going to get in trouble," she managed to get out through her continuous laughter. "No we won't," he replied. Suddenly a light shined on them.

"Luke, I can't believe you got us kicked out," Haley exclaimed incredulously as they walked away from the theatre to the truck, "and I wanted to see Bring It On Again too." "Chill Hales, you have that movie at home. You can watch it any time you want," he responded with a shrug. "That's not the point. The point is that you got us kicked out," she stated with a poke to his chest. He grinned cheekily at her, "Just like old times Hales. Remember when we were like ten years old and my mom took us to see The Lion King? We were laughing so hard at Timon and Pumbaa and causing such a distraction that the usher had to escort us to the door. Mom was so pissed at us." "Yeah, I remember," she laughed.

"So, where to next," Haley asked a few minutes later when they finally neared the truck. "How about a round of miniature golf up on the roof of our favorite café?" "It's the only café we go to, you idiot," she replied. "Oh really, I wonder why," he inquired with a grin. "Well the food's pretty good there and I know the owner. I know her son too and he's a nice guy most of the time except when he gets people kicked out of movies they want to see," she responded sarcastically. "Your ass is grass when we get up on the roof. Miniature golf will never be the same for you again, because I will win." "Oh please, you may be good at basketball but I can still beat you hands down at miniature golf," Haley replied with a wave of her hand. "Really? You think so? Golf is just like basketball Hales; you're putting a ball into a hole. What's so different about that," he asked. "First of all, in basketball you're shooting the ball with your hands and second, in golf you're using a putter. And you could never control anything resembling a stick Lucas, so why make empty threats," she grinned at him cheekily and he wondered if she was making some sort of sexual pun at him while insulting him at the same time.

"Hey," he protested loudly. "What? You sucked at T-ball and baseball. Remember that time when Keith was trying to teach you how to play baseball and you swung the bat and you let go of it to run to first base, thinking you'd hit the ball, and it almost hit Keith in the head? And don't forget about hockey Lucas; you almost castrated one of those boys when you hit the puck to pass it to a teammate but you hit it too hard and it punched into someone's groin. See, there's proof for you. You know I'm going to win, because you know you suck and there's nothing you can do about it," she stated with a wide smile. Lucas had winced at the memory of hitting the kid with the hockey puck then looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "You're so degrading, you know that? How about we go to the rivercourt to play basketball so I can degrade and disgrace the name Haley James, Female Playground Basketball Star. Then we'll be even." "Oh really? Remember that I could've had the starting position for the Lady Ravens, Lucas. And wasn't it only a couple days ago that I beat you, not once, but twice down at the rivercourt?"

"I let you win," he argued back. "You keep telling yourself that Lucas, maybe it will boost your ego even bigger than the size of an elephant it already is." "Hey, my ego is not that big. I happen to think that I'm very modest," he replied in a proper, snobbish tone as he placed his hand to his chest. Haley scoffed at him, "Please! You? Modest? Yeah right! When pigs fly and hell freezes over!" "That's not a very nice way of talking about your best friend Hales, I'm hurt," he put on a pout and gave her his sad puppy face. "You're such a baby, you know that?" "It takes one to know one," he grinned back at her. She placed her hands on her hips and glared at him, "What's that supposed to mean?" "This," he smiled widely then leaned down and picked her up, placing her over his shoulder. Haley shrieked as she began flailing her limbs to keep from falling, "LUCAS EUGENE SCOTT! Put me down this instant!" "And why should I do that," he asked coyly. "Because-because I'll…" she sputtered. "You'll do what," he asked. Haley felt herself becoming unbalanced again and started to kick her legs and move her arms, suddenly, accidentally, landing a swift kick to Lucas' groin.

Lucas doubled over in pain and let Haley go before he sank to his knees on the ground and fell to his side. He cried out loudly and breathed heavily in rhythmic intervals to try and breathe through the pain. "DAMMIT HALES!" Fat tears rolled down his cheeks and his eyes were shut tightly and teeth gritted closed. Haley covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes wide, shocked and remorseful of what she had done to her friend, "OH MY GOD! Lucas, I'm SO sorry!" He lay there for several minutes and she crouched down beside him, gently placing her hand on his shoulder, "Luke, give me your keys to the truck. We need to get you to a hospital." "No, it's okay. I-I'll be fine," he squeaked out. "Lucas, give me your keys NOW! We need to get you checked out! I could have broken your-your…it… Okay, that just sounded totally gross, but that's beside the point! We're going to the hospital and that's final! Now hand over your keys," she ordered loudly as she thrust out her hand to him. He slowly, reluctantly, gave her the keys to the truck. She then helped him up and put his arm over her shoulders and her arm wrapped tightly around his waist to support him as she carefully guided him to the truck and helped him get in on the passenger side.

Haley raced them into the emergency room and had Lucas sit in a chair while she went to the front desk. "Hey Haley, I thought you weren't working tonight," a nurse named Danielle asked when she saw her. "Hi Danielle, no I'm not working tonight. My friend got hurt and I was wondering if Toni is in?" The woman nodded then pressed the button for the sliding security doors, "Yeah, she's in Exam 2. You can go on back and get her." "Thanks," Haley replied. "No problem Haley. I hope your friend will be okay," Danielle responded. "Me too," she responded sadly, still feeling extremely sorry for what she had done. She headed over to Exam 2 and knocked before cautiously entering, "Toni?" "Haley? What are you doing here? Oh my god, is Brooke alright!" Toni asked worriedly with an anxious expression. "She's fine. It's my friend Lucas; you met him when he came with my other friends when Brooke was in the hospital," Haley responded. The older woman nodded as she followed Haley towards the waiting room, "So what happened to him?"

Haley blushed a little, "Um, I um…accidentally kicked him, um…in the nuts…" Toni raised an eyebrow, "And how did that happen?" "We were just fooling around," Haley started then Toni gave her a surprised look and Haley continued on, "no, not like that. We had left the movie theater and were walking to his truck and joking with each other then he picked me up and put me over his shoulder. I felt like I was going to fall so I started moving my arms and legs…then I accidentally kicked him…" "Oh, I see," Toni replied, "let's get your friend checked out. Where is he?" Haley spotted him and rushed to help him as he stood and she walked him to an empty exam room. "Um, is it okay if I have another doctor? I'd feel more comfortable if it was a guy," Lucas asked Toni as he gingerly sat down on the edge of the hospital bed. "Certainly, I will send one in shortly," she smiled politely then exited the room where Haley waited. "I'll be right back, he wants a male doctor," Toni responded when Haley raised an eyebrow in questioning for an answer. Haley nodded then sat back down in her chair again.

Half an hour later, Toni reappeared from the room with a chart the doctor had handed her after the examination. "How is he," Haley asked concernedly, rising from her seat. "He'll be fine Haley. It's not broken, just a little sprain. He needs to take some Tylenol or any other over-the-counter pain reliever like Advil, Aleve, or Ibuprofen and to keep ice on it a few hours for a couple days," Toni replied as she marked something on the chart. "Thanks Toni," Haley hugged her then inquired, "is it okay to go in?" "Yep he's all clear to go," the woman nodded, "see you later this week, Haley?" "Yeah, probably on Wednesday; I don't have tutoring or work at the café on that day," Haley replied. "Okay, see you then. Bye Haley," Toni waved as she walked off.

Haley walked into the exam room and saw that the curtain was still closed. "Luke, you decent," she called out. "Yeah," he replied. She pushed the curtain aside part of the way and saw him still sitting on the bed, his face a little pale. Tears welled in her eyes as she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry…" she whispered. "It's okay; it's not your fault. I shouldn't have picked you up like that…" he said back quietly. They stayed like that for a few more minutes before Lucas carefully stood, "Come on, let's get out of here. We have Bring It On Again and some ice cream waiting at home for us." "It's Tylenol and ice for you buddy. We don't want you getting a freeze in two places now would we," Haley replied with a chuckle. Lucas' cheeks tinted a little pink.

Once they arrived back at Lucas' house, Haley ordered him to the couch while she got out ice cream and made a bag of ice for Lucas. She walked back into the living room and handed him the bag, two Tylenol, and a glass of water. "Aww Hales, this is all I get? I was hoping you'd do what Mom used to do and kiss it to make it better," he said with a playful smirk. Haley's face contorted in disgust at his comment and implications of what he wanted her to do. "Okay, first of all, EWW! Second of all…" she hit him in the back of the head then continued, "third, does the name Peyton ring a bell?" "Chill Hales, I was just kidding. It's funny to see you get all riled up," he replied with a chuckle. She grabbed the bag of ice from him and threw it down in his lap, hitting the sensitive spot where she'd kicked him earlier. She gave him a triumphant grin as she placed her hands on her hips, "How does that feel?" "Cold and it hurts," he replied as he winced. "Good," she responded then turned to put the movie in the DVD player. She then sat down beside him, curling her legs under her body as she leaned against him.

Fifteen minutes later, Haley turned to him with sad eyes. She wrapped her arms around Lucas' torso and laid her head against his chest, "I'm really sorry Luke." He rubbed her shoulder to comfort her, "I know." A minute or two passed when Lucas suddenly groaned. "What's wrong," Haley asked concernedly. "It's swelling up…" he said through gritted teeth as he groaned again and shifted a little. Haley's eyes widened and her mouth formed a large 'O'. Lucas chuckled, "No, not like that. The doc said that because of the sprain, it might swell up a bit from the bruising." She nodded silently, still shocked, in almost a robotic fashion. He patted the side of her arm to get her attention, "So what's been going on with you lately? We haven't hung out in a while and I want to know what's going on in my best friend's life. What's up?" Haley inwardly cringed, hating having to keep her relationship with Brooke from her best friend. "Not much really," she replied with fake nonchalance as she thought, _'Everything.' _She continued on, "You know, school, tutoring, working at the café, the hospital; the usual." "Yeah, same here," he shrugged. "What about you and Peyton? How are you two doing," she asked interestedly.

"Peyton and I are doing great. She's an amazing girl and we compliment each other very well and we have things in common. She's everything I've been looking for. I think I'm in love, Hales," he gushed then his cheeks tinted a bright red, embarrassed about letting out all his feelings like that. Haley smiled sweetly at him, "What are the signs?" "It's like, whenever she walks into a room, I lose my breath; she's so beautiful. Every time she comes near me, my breath hitches in my throat and I have to swallow, I can't breathe. Her smell; the shampoo in her hair, the perfume she wears, just intoxicates my senses to where I only breathe her in. I love her smile; it just lights up a room and makes my day better when I've had a bad one. I can't stop thinking about her and I can't stand being away from her even for a second. And when we make love…" Haley abruptly interrupted him by raising her hand to stop, "Okay, this is getting past the PG-13 description level; don't want to hear any more." "No, I was just going to say that… it's-it's amazing. I think she's the one Hales, _the one_," he explained with a dreamy, far away look in his eyes. "Oh you're definitely in love," Haley replied with a wide smile, happy for her friend. They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts.

'_I'm in love,' _Haley said to herself as she came to the realization of Lucas' words, _'I feel that way when I'm with Brooke and it kills me to be even a second away from her. Her scent overcomes my senses every time I get near and I there's not a second that goes by that I don't think about her…her beautiful face, her deep brown eyes, her dimples, her loving smile…' _She was brought out of her daydream when she saw that his mouth was moving. She cleared her throat and asked, "I'm sorry, what were you saying? I sort of spaced there." "I could tell," he grinned at her, "anyway, I was saying that I love her so much and I don't like being away from her. I was thinking that…I want to marry her Hales. Not right now of course, but maybe in about seven months, after we graduate from high school," he said with this goofy grin on his face and stars almost literally shining from his eyes. Haley sat there, shocked, for a minute before she patted his shoulder and hugged him, "I'm happy for you Luke." She lifted her head up and placed a quick kiss on his cheek then responded, "I know you two will be happy Luke, but if you EVER hurt Peyton, I'll miss you because I'd have to kill you; or worse, castrate you with my foot," she smiled cheekily up at him. Lucas covered the area between his legs with his hands and winced painfully, "I swear I won't. I don't want to have to go through that again."

She patted his chest with her hand, "Good, because you know I would kick harder than I did this time." "Don't I know it. You can be brutal when you want to be," he replied. "Hey! I resent that. I am a girl, you know," she responded with indignation. "Yeah, but you're stronger and more athletic than most girls, well at least by basketball I mean. You can be pretty lazy," he poked her in the tummy as he chuckled. "Lucas Scott! You better not be calling me fat! Because if you are, my foot would happily go between your legs again," she stood up, glaring at him with her hands on her hips. He gave her a seductive smirk and wiggled his hips a little, raising an eyebrow in gesture, "Ooh, sounds kinky." "Oh Luke, what am I going to do with you, you horny little boy," she sighed and shook her head as she patted him on the top of his head and just when he wasn't paying attention, she hit him in the back of the head and punched him in the chest with a balled fist. "OW! What are you trying to do, injure me for life?" "Maybe," she replied. "How about, maybe not," he responded as he leaned forward and began to tickle her sides.

Haley leaned over, trying to get away from his grasp and he pulled her onto the couch beside him. He finally stopped a few seconds later, leaning back into the couch and sighing. "Luke, it's getting late. We should go to bed," Haley yawned, covering her mouth with a hand then rubbing her eyes. She stood and helped Lucas up from the couch, draping his arm over her shoulders and supporting him with an arm around his waist as they walked to his bedroom. Once she sat him on the bed, she got her duffel bag and said to him, "I'm going to go change. I'll be right out." A few moments later, Lucas heard Haley's muffled voice through the door, "Dammit!" "Hales, you okay in there," he asked concernedly. "Yeah, I'm alright. I must have grabbed one of Brooke's shirts instead of mine from the laundry basket," she replied. Haley put on the shirt and was immediately enveloped in the scent that was distinctly Brooke. She brought the material to her nose, breathing in its scent and smiling to herself as she thought of her girlfriend.

"Hurry up Hales, I have to pee," Lucas whined from the bedroom. "Geez, keep it in your pants Luke. You can wait a few more minutes; I have to brush my teeth and hair," she responded as she started pulling a brush through her reddish brunette locks of hair. She walked out of the bathroom three minutes later and Lucas stood, slowly walking to where she had just come from. "Are you sure you don't need help, Luke? You know, you were injured… You might need help going to the bathroom," she smirked at him. He gave her a dry look, "I can handle it on my own, thank you very much. I've been handling it for seventeen years now; I've got it covered." "Okay, if you're sure," she replied with a grin. He turned and just shook his head as he walked into the bathroom. Haley shook her head too, but it was at something different. She didn't know why she was saying all these sexual innuendos and where they were coming from. Maybe Brooke was rubbing off on her. And where had that kiss on the cheek come from? Then a thought came to her. Oh god, did she like Lucas, her best friend?

Haley got under the covers and curled up, thoughts blazing through her mind at lightning speed. Why was this coming up when things were going so great for her, and for her and Brooke? Minutes later, Lucas climbed into the bed and Haley flinched at his closeness, something that had never been a problem for them before. "Night Hales," he mumbled. "Night Lucas," Haley managed to squeak out without sounding too obvious that something was wrong. _'God, why is this happening now,' _she asked herself.


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! I am SO, SO sorry for taking so long to update this story! I've had major writer's block for both stories and just really haven't had time to write as often as I'd like lately because I've had to deal with a whole bunch of stuff because graduation is coming up, college stuff, work stuff and just a whole lot of crap I have to get done. I wasn't allowed on the computer this weekend but I managed to sneak into the office after my parents went to bed to type this chapter up. I know it's short, but I didn't want to keep you guys waiting after I kind of left you hanging there in the last chapter. So without further ado, here's Chapter 18! I hope you like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **PG to PG-13

P.S. – YAY! One Tree Hill comes back on this week! I don't care if its reruns or not, I'm still excited that it's back on!

P.S. again – I will try to update The Sweetest Sin this week, depending how my schedule is and if my parents allow me. Let's hope they do!

**In the Presence of an Angel **

**Chapter 18**

The next morning, Haley was the first to wake, not oddly enough because she normally rose early, but also because of her thoughts last night. She had stayed up most of the night trying to sort out her thoughts and feelings, trying to pick down to the bone of why she suddenly thought she had feelings for Lucas. I mean, she'd kissed Luke before; even on the mouth. When they were twelve years old, they'd kissed each other so they would know how to kiss someone when they found a person they liked. She didn't know why she had said all those sexual innuendos; saying them herself had never bothered her before despite being uncomfortable with the topic of sex. Maybe Brooke was actually rubbing off on her from being around her so much, especially being cooped up in that house while Brooke was on bed rest and now even more so from being a couple. She finally came to the conclusion that she was just happy; for both her and Lucas. They both had someone very special in their lives and were hopelessly in love.

Haley smiled when she thought of her girlfriend. She wondered what Brooke was doing. Had she stayed home alone or gone to hang out with Peyton? She couldn't wait to see Brooke, to kiss her all over her face because she missed her so much, to simply hold her in her arms, thankful that Brooke was hers and only hers. She wanted, no, needed to hear Brooke's voice; that raspy sexy sound she always had when she was just waking or really tired. She knew Brooke would still be asleep and didn't want to disturb her, but that's what being crazy in love did to her.

She carefully climbed out of bed so as not to wake Lucas and grabbed her cell phone then went onto the back porch and sat on the bench there. She dialed Brooke's cell number and it rang about three times as Haley impatiently tapped her foot before her ears were filled the sweet sound of Brooke's sleepy, raspy voice. "Hello," the brunette asked groggily. "Hey Tigger," Haley said brightly with a wide smile on her face, "how are you?" "Tired and lonely," she replied with a sad tone as she yawned, "I missed you so much last night that I couldn't stay at Peyton's so I came home. I ended up sleeping with Mr. Waffles on your side of the bed because it smelled like you. Let's just say it was a long night and the bed was pretty cold without you here." "Aww, baby, I missed you too. I wish you would have called me; I would have come home too. It was hard sleeping without you in my arms or your arms around me," Haley responded in a pouting voice. "Yeah, but I didn't want to ruin your night with Lucas. You guys haven't hung out in a while," Brooke replied as she sat up in bed, "when are you coming home?" "Luke hasn't woken up yet, but I'll get him up soon and we'll have breakfast then I'll be home, okay? I can't wait to see you," Haley said with a soft smile on her face. "Mmm, same here. I can't wait to kiss you too," Brooke grinned. "Alright, I'll see you later baby. Bye Brookie," Haley replied before Brooke said goodbye too and she shut her phone.

Haley walked back into the house and into the kitchen, where she found Karen already at work on fixing breakfast. "Oh, hey Karen. I was going to make Luke and I some breakfast, but since you already started it, mind if I help?" "Sure," Karen replied as she cracked some eggs into a skillet. Twenty minutes later, Haley and Karen were just setting food down on the table when Luke appeared from the bedroom, scratching the back of his head. Haley had to laugh at the sight of him. "Been having some wet dreams, Lucas," she asked with a raised eyebrow as she glanced down at the dark stain on the front of his sweatpants. He looked down and his cheeks tinted pink, "No, it must have been from the ice. I got up and made another bag around three this morning. There could have been a hole in the bag or I didn't close it all the way since I did it all in the dark." "Sure Lucas, whatever you say. I believe you," she replied in a mocking tone. "Hey," he protested loudly as he moved towards her, fingers ready to tickle her. "Nah uh, I don't think so. You don't want a repeat of last night, do you," she waved an index finger warningly at him. "No thanks, I've had enough of that, thank you," he replied as he sat down at the table. Karen raised an eyebrow and shook her head as she glanced between her kids. She would never understand those crazy teenagers.

Two hours later, Haley raced into her own house in search of Brooke, not being able to stand a second longer of being away from her girlfriend. "Brooke," she called out excitedly as she threw open her bedroom door. Brooke whipped around and a wide, bright smile spread across her face. Haley rushed over and launched herself into Brooke's arms, curling her legs around her girlfriend's waist and kissing her passionately on the lips. "I…missed…you…so…much…" Haley murmured as she began to place small kisses all over her face. Brooke kissed her back with equal fervor as she slowly backed up to the edge of the bed and gently laid herself and Haley down, with Haley on top. "God, I missed you too…" Brooke managed to get out through her heavy breathing as Haley started in on her neck. Brooke groaned as Haley began to suck lightly at the sensitive skin near her collarbone and ran her hands up and down the sides of Brooke's body. As much as she didn't want to, Brooke needed to stop her. She knew they weren't ready. Brooke gently placed her hands on Haley's face and pulled her up to meet her lips then wrapped her arms tightly around her waist. "I love you," Brooke murmured. Haley smiled as she leaned her head down and placed another chaste kiss on her mouth, her eyes heavy with love, "I love you too." They kissed tenderly for a few more minutes before they scooted up on the bed and began to talk.

"So, how was your night with Luke? Was it fun," Brooke asked as she propped her head up with her elbow on her pillow. Haley laughed and shook her head as she remembered last night, "Yeah, you could say that." "Well, what went on? What did you guys do," Brooke pressed on. "Well let's just say that there was a lot of fooling around and by the end of the night, we were icing Lucas' manhood," Haley smirked then burst out laughing as she watched Brooke's eyes widen to the size of golf balls and her jaw drop in shock. "You-You what?" Brooke asked incredulously. "Yeah, I was kind of rough on him," Haley laughed, "poor guy." The brunette beside her was speechless for a few moments, not knowing what to say, when she suddenly grabbed Haley's arms and pinned them to the bed over her head with one hand as she straddled her waist and began to tickle her.

"Haley 'Tutor Girl' James, you tell me what happened right now!" "Or what," Haley prodded with a teasing grin on her face. "I'll-I'll…" Brooke began, but she was coming up with nothing, too preoccupied with Haley's body wriggling underneath her. She suddenly felt something graze her butt and she jolted upright onto her knees, "Holy shi t!" She looked behind her and saw Haley's foot run along Brooke's calf. She turned back to Haley and her girlfriend just smiled and responded with a giggle, "I'm very flexible." Brooke laughed, "Kinky." Haley laughed louder as her grin became wider, "Funny, Luke said the same thing last night." "Hales!" Brooke remarked loudly as she swatted Haley's shoulder. "Kidding, kidding," Haley put her hands up in surrender as her loud laughter died down to low chuckles. "Are you kidding about just that kinky comment or all of it," Brooke asked suspiciously, her eyes narrowed, but Haley knew she was just playing around. "Only part of it," Haley responded, "because Luke did say 'kinky' to me last night. But I'll tell you what really happened…" "Okay, what," Brooke inquired interestedly as she settled down beside her and crossed her legs. Haley then related to her all that had happened the night before, which was where they now still sat an hour later.

"I can't believe you did that," Brooke chuckled. "It was an accident," Haley exclaimed, "If he hadn't put me over his shoulder, I wouldn't have kicked him!" "True," Brooke reasoned then a moment later she hopped off the bed, "let's go down to the café and get something to eat. I haven't had anything to eat yet today." "Brooke! You shouldn't skip meals like that," Haley scolded her, "especially when you're still recovering!" "I'm fine Hales, I've never felt better," Brooke responded then began to whisper as she wrapped her arms around Haley's neck and placed a soft kiss on her lips, "and it's all because of you." Haley pulled back slightly and stared into Brooke's brown eyes as she stroked her hair for several moments, thanking God for bringing this beautiful woman into her life. "I don't know what I'd do without you," Haley said, tears forming in her eyes and she hugged her girlfriend tightly, her arms encircling Brooke's neck. "Die," Brooke laughed. "Probably," Haley replied as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Hey, what's with all this crying," Brooke asked concernedly, wiping a stray tear from her cheek. "Nothing; I just- I love you and I missed you so much last night… God, I'm such a cry baby," Haley gave a slight laugh. "No you're not," Brooke hugged her, "and even if you are, you're my cry baby." Haley hiccupped and sniffled then Brooke replied, "Come on, let's get you cleaned up then we'll go to the café for an early lunch, or in my case, brunch."

Haley and Brooke walked into the café half an hour later and grabbed a booth in the corner, away from most of the customers. Karen gave them a bright smile as she walked up to their table, "Hey girls, what can I get you?" "I'll just have a diet coke and a BLT since I already ate a couple hours ago," Haley responded. "Ooh, that sounds really good. I'll have the same but with some fries please," the perky brunette replied. "Okay, I'll get your orders in and they'll be out in a few minutes," the older woman smiled at them. "Thanks Karen," Haley returned the smile. "No problem kiddo," Karen said as she patted her shoulder and walked off. "You two are really close, huh," Brooke remarked a minute or two later. "Yeah, she's like my surrogate mom. She's really the only mom I've had since I was little when my parents started traveling a lot for their jobs. She's thinks of me as her daughter and I think of her as my mom; I sometimes call her Mom too," Haley replied with a soft grin on her face, looking back on the memories of when she and Karen used to bake cookies in the kitchen or take her and Luke to the playground. "Aww, that's sweet. I wish I had someone like that," Brooke cocked her head to the side. "Well, you have me," Haley gave her a small smile as she discreetly took Brooke's hand into her own between them.

"Here you two go," Karen said as she walked up to their table, plates in hand, causing Haley and Brooke to quickly pull their hands away. "Thanks," Haley replied. "This smells really great Karen," Brooke responded as she took the ketchup and began to pour some for her fries. "Thank you Brooke. You're welcome girls," Karen answered before heading to another table with the coffee pot. They ate in a companionable silence for several minutes then Haley asked, "So, what do you want to do today?" "How about we go down the rivercourt for a little while and see if everyone is there? Then we can go back to the house and watch movies or something. I promise to let you watch Bring It On Again since you didn't get to see it last night," Brooke grinned playfully. "Alright, maybe I can get in on a game or two since Luke will probably be out of commission for a couple days," Haley responded. "Okay, let's go," Brooke bounced in her seat and gestured with her hands to move out of the booth. "Let me just go pay for our food," Haley replied as she grabbed her purse and headed to the counter with Brooke following behind her. "Hey Karen, thanks for lunch. Here's money for our food," Haley said as she placed some bills and change onto the counter and pushed them forward. "Don't worry about it honey, I'll just put it on your tab," Karen answered as she pushed the money back towards Haley. "The tab you never let me pay for," Haley grinned back. "You work here, that's payment enough," Karen replied, "you heading out?" "Yeah, we're gonna go to the rivercourt to see if Luke and the others are there, maybe shoot some hoops." Karen nodded then gestured for them to follow her, "Can I talk to you girls for a minute?"

They followed her into one of the back storage rooms and when they got there, Haley asked, "What's up Karen?" The older woman crossed her arms and paced back and forth in front on them, silent for several moments. Haley's forehead wrinkled in confusion, wondering what Karen had to say to her. They had always been open with each other. Finally, Karen looked up at Haley, her face blank and devoid of any emotion, "When were you going to tell me?" "Tell you what," Haley inquired, crossing her arms concernedly. "About this," Karen waved her hand between the two girls, "you two, dating. How long has this been going on? Why didn't you tell me? I mean, I get why you wouldn't want to tell me, but you're my daughter, Hales, we talk about almost everything!" By now, Karen was breathing heavily and Haley had a scared look in her eyes, not liking how Karen was reacting to the news. "H-How did you find out," Haley asked meekly, not able to meet her eyes, staring at the ground. "I went out to get the newspaper this morning and I heard you talking on the phone," Karen replied then turned to Brooke, "could you leave us alone for a few minutes please?" Brooke nodded silently, too scared for both herself and Haley to speak.

Haley couldn't look up at Karen; see her angry, maybe even disgusted, expression at the thought of Haley being in a relationship with Brooke Davis, a girl. Tears slowly began to trickle down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms tighter around herself to keep from crumbling to the ground, her knees beginning to feel too weak to even hold her up. She was going to lose the only mother she had ever known because of this. "Haley, look at me," Karen requested in a soft, yet firm voice. She finally gathered the courage to look up and Karen's heart broke at seeing her daughter in tears. "I have just one question," Karen said as she stepped closer to Haley. "What," Haley asked shakily, drawing in a ragged breath. Karen placed her hands on the sides of Haley's arms, "Does she make you happy?" Haley drew in a deep breath, not expecting this question, but feeling nothing but utter relief. "Yes, more than I could ever imagine," Haley responded as she closed her eyes and a wide smile spread across her face, envisioning her girlfriend. "Then that's all I could ever ask for," the older woman replied as she wrapped her arms around Haley's body, "all I ever want for you is for you to be happy. That goes for Lucas as well." "Thanks Mom," Haley said in an emotional voice as she hugged her tightly in return then slowly pulled away from her, a pleading look in her eyes, "please don't tell Lucas about us. We're not ready for everyone to know yet and I-I still haven't gotten up the courage to tell him yet." Karen nodded, "I understand, but you better tell him soon. You know Lucas, if he finds out, he'll be angry that you didn't tell him." "I-I know," she answered. Karen softly stroked her hair then kissed her forehead and gave her a small smile, "You're my daughter, Haley, and nothing is going to change that. Now go be with your girlfriend." More tears began to fall as Haley hugged her around the neck once more. "Thank you," she whispered. "No problem kiddo. I just want you to be happy," Karen responded. "I am," Haley replied. "Good, now go. You have a girl waiting out there for you," Karen smiled as she patted Haley's back.

Haley walked out into the café and Brooke immediately saw the tears on Haley's cheeks, knowing that one of Haley's greatest fears had come true; that Karen, the only real mother Haley had, hadn't accepted them being together. She rushed over to her girlfriend and enveloped Haley in her arms, her hand pressing Haley's head into the crook of her neck. "I'm sorry…" Brooke said quietly as tears of her own formed and fell from her eyes. "It's okay," Haley said quietly. "No it's not Haley! You're a great girl and you're practically her daughter! She should love you for who you are, no matter who you are dating," Brooke exclaimed softly so none of the customers dining around them would hear then turned and started to walk back to the storage room where they had previously been, "I'm going to give Karen a piece of my mind!" Haley gently grabbed her arm, "No, it's okay. I mean, Karen and I are good. We talked, she's supportive, everything's good." "Then why were you crying," Brooke asked. "Happy tears, Brooke; they were happy tears," Haley responded. "Good," Brooke responded as she hugged her again, "you know I hate seeing you cry." "Well, there's going to be more of those," Haley discreetly nuzzled her neck and laughed slightly and at Brooke's confused expression, she elaborated, "three down, everybody else to go. Not everyone is going to take the news as well as Jake, Karen, and Toni did." "I know," Brooke said quietly as she stroked her hair, wondering how all their friends would react to finding out.


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! Here's Chapter 19 of In the Presence of an Angel! It has lots of drama so beware! Well, I won't bore you with excuses about why this is a little late. But I will say that I have decided that I will update this story every other week because I have two stories out and I will update this story one week and The Sweetest Sin the next week and so on. Sorry to make you guys wait so long for chapters, but I think this is the most efficient way to do this. If I get a chapter done early, I'll post it, which I know you all will be just _dying _to want another chapter as soon as you read this one. Well, without further ado, here's Chapter 19! I hope you like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB. The song 'Sometimes' is owned by Britney Spears, her record company, or whoever.

**Rating: **PG to PG-13

**In the Presence of An Angel **

**Chapter 19**

"Oh! And James steals the ball from Lucas Scott and dribbles up the court towards the basket. This next shot could make or break the game for one team, ladies and gentlemen. If Haley James makes this next shot, she will have beaten Lucas Scott! Quite a feat around this little basketball court, I may tell you, quite a feat! She goes up and… she slam dunks it in, ladies and gentlemen! Wow! This girl's on fire today! Now let's go talk with Miss James and see what she has to say about her performance today," Mouth commentated as he walked over to Haley, who was wiping her forehead with a towel.

Just as Mouth was about to ask her some questions, Haley yelled, "Hey Luke? Isn't that like the third time I've beat you today? You must be losing your touch or maybe I'm just better than you." She grinned as she bragged about her win. Lucas grabbed the ball and shook his head, "No, I'm still a little sore from all the damage you did to me a few days ago." "Sure, you keep telling yourself that Luke," Haley smirked.

"So Haley, any comments on the game just now," Mouth asked as he brought the tape recorder near her face. "Well, it's not really much of a feat anymore. It's actually become quite a habit. I just don't think that Luke has it in him anymore. He's too dispirited by being beaten by a girl so many times," Haley smiled sweetly as she looked back at him. "Lucas, would you like to say anything," he inquired as he moved to the blonde. "No comment," he grumbled as he went to grab his towel and bag.

"Aww, c'mon Luke, stop being such a spoil sport. If you cheer up, I'll buy you an ice cream cone," Haley offered as she wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulders. "Ooh, with M & M's, sprinkles, nuts, and two cherries on top," he asked excitedly like a little kid in a candy shop. "Gee Luke, don't you think you already have enough crushed nuts," Haley asked with a smirk and a snort of laughter as Lucas choked on the water he'd been drinking. He wiped the water from his chin and stared at her for a moment before he grinned devilishly. "Run," he stated simply, "because you are so going to get it." Haley laughed and took off running as she waved goodbye to Mouth, Skills, and Fergie, Lucas hot on her heels.

"So, you and Brooke have gotten pretty close lately," Lucas remarked as he licked his ice cream cone. "Yeah, she's a really great friend," Haley responded with sort of a fake smile, wishing she could tell her best friend about her relationship with Brooke. "Better than me," he asked cockily with a hand to his chest, an unbelieving expression on his face. "Of course not, you're my bestest friend in the whole wide world Lukey," Haley said in a childish voice as she wrapped her arms around his neck. _'She's my best friend and my girlfriend, but you're my best, best friend. I've known you almost my whole life; I can tell you things I can't tell her. I just can't tell you about us…' _Haley thought, sadness and guilt creeping in.

"Aww, thanks. I love you too Hales. You're my best friend too," he patted her back. They finished their cones and made their way outside of the ice cream shop. "So, what do you want to do next," he asked, swinging the duffel bag over his shoulder. "I um, I'm kind of tired. You know, from the basketball game. I think I'm gonna go and take a nap…" she saw the sad expression befall his face. "Oh, okay. I'll see you later, Hales," he turned and began to walk away. She reached out and gently grabbed his arm, "Luke please, I would love to hang out with you some more but I'm really tired. I stayed up all night studying for a test I have tomorrow morning. Tell you what, pick a day, any day this week, and I'm yours, okay? We'll go do something fun, but no tattoos and no booze," she grinned. He smiled too, "Okay, bye Hales," he gave her a one-armed hug then jogged off down the street, bouncing his basketball.

Haley sighed; she hated lying to her best friend, but she really wanted to see Brooke; she missed her. Haley walked home and when she entered the house, she heard singing from down the hall; her bedroom. She quietly stood in the doorway as she watched Brooke sing to some upbeat pop song as she danced around the room. Once the song was over, Haley started clapping loudly and Brooke spun around, a hand to her chest, "Oh my god! Haley!" Brooke breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that it was her girlfriend and slowly walked over to her, embracing her in a hug, whispering in her ear, "Crazy girl, what are you doing to my heart?"

Haley wrapped her arms around Brooke's waist and buried her head in the crook of her neck, breathing in deeply the scent of her hair. Then she lifted her head and pressed her lips firmly yet softly to Brooke's, needing her touch. "I missed you," Haley said as she pulled away. "Hales, you were only gone for two hours, but I missed you too," Brooke replied. "I know, but you're just too irresistible for me to stay away," Haley grinned as she pushed back a strand of hair behind Brooke's ear. "So, how was you game with Luke? Did you win?" "Of course," Haley responded with confidence, "I beat him three times." "Wow, Lucas must be moping around after that kind of defeat," Brooke remarked. "Yeah, but I took him out for ice cream afterwards to cheer him up," Haley replied. "So what do you want to do," Brooke inquired as she plopped down on the bed, reclining back on her elbows. "I have an idea," Haley said, "it involves you, me, that bed, and catching up on some z's because I'm pooped." She collapsed onto the bed beside her girlfriend. "Well, I'm all for it," Brooke smiled as she laid down and moved closer to Haley, stroking her cheek. Haley leaned in and they shared a soft, tender kiss before they both closed their eyes and smiled, happy at being in each other's arms once again.

The next day after school Haley didn't have to work at the café or the hospital so Brooke had decided that they would go to the mall to do some shopping. They had already gone to a few stores and had a couple bags in their hands as they walked further through the mall. "Ooh! Let's go in here," Brooke said excitedly as she made her way into a lingerie store. Haley rolled her eyes as she reluctantly followed after her, but she brightened at the thought of seeing her beautiful girlfriend in a skimpy piece of clothing. "Haley, you should try this on," Brooke remarked as she handed her a hanger. "Brooke…" Haley began, but was cut off. "Please…" Brooke begged. Haley sighed in defeat, "Fine." She went into the dressing rooms to change.

"I'm not coming out," Haley said stubbornly about five minutes later. "C'mon, please Hales," Brooke pleaded with her as she stood outside the dressing room. "No Brooke, I look ridiculous in this thing." "Why don't you let me be the judge of that," Brooke whispered into the crack of the door. "No, I'm not coming out," Haley repeated indignantly. "Then let me come in," Brooke replied. There were a few seconds of silence until Brooke heard the lock click. Haley's face appeared behind the small opening in the door she had made, "Don't laugh okay?" She let Brooke in then closed her eyes, waiting for the reaction she knew was coming. When Brooke didn't say anything for about two minutes, Haley peeked her eyes open. What she saw made her gulp. Brooke was staring at her, mesmerized, drinking in her body. She had that look upon her face; THE look. The one that told Haley she wanted more than to just kiss her and caress the sides of her body, to be with her in THAT way. Haley had thought about going further, but she wasn't ready for that yet. So when this happened, she was nervous and scared.

Brooke's gazed trailed down Haley's body, taking in every inch of her in that near skin-tight leopard print lingerie and her hair up in pig tails. She looked up to Haley's face and saw her with her eyes closed, biting her bottom lip. Brooke placed her hands on Haley's shoulders and smiled when Haley finally opened her eyes, "You look so adorable, you know that? You're also beautiful, sexy, and so incredibly irresistible. It's a good thing we're in public. Oh wait, we're all alone in a dressing room…" She didn't finish the sentence as she had placed her lips on Haley's. Brooke began to kiss down her neck and Haley let out a soft moan, "Brooke…" Finally, Haley came to her senses and gently pushed her away, "We can't, we're in a store." "Okay," Brooke pouted with her lower lip sticking out then asked, "but we'll continue this later, right?" "Absolutely," Haley smiled then gestured towards the door, "now let me get changed." "You're not going to buy it," Brooke inquired with another pout as she motioned to the lingerie Haley was wearing. "Nah, I don't think so. It's really not my style," Haley replied as she looked down at herself. Brooke stuck out her bottom lip again as she turned to leave the dressing room, "Damn." "Hey Brooke," Haley inquired to get her attention. "Yeah," she responded. "I'm getting kind of thirsty. While I get changed, could you go get me an Orange Julius? It's only about two or three stores down. I won't be long, I promise," Haley said. Brooke nodded then left the dressing room.

Haley sighed as she leaned back against the wall, slowly letting out the breath she had been holding. That had been a close one. Haley knew she wasn't ready to be intimate with Brooke, but a part of her wanted to be closer to Brooke and for Brooke to be closer to her. She sank down to the floor as s few tears marred her face. Why is it that when she wanted to get close, she pulled away? She sighed again as she heard a familiar song come over the store speakers. How was it that the perfect song that mirrored your mood or what you were thinking came on at that exact moment? She closed her eyes as she listened to the words, a solitary tear sliding down her cheek.

_You tell me you're in love with me  
Like you can't take your pretty eyes away from me  
It's not that I don't want to stay  
But every time you come too close I move away _

I wanna believe in everything that you say  
'Cause it sounds so good  
But if you really want me, move slow  
There's things about me you just have to know

Sometimes I run  
Sometimes I hide  
Sometimes I'm scared of you  
But all I really want is to hold you tight  
Treat you right  
Be with you day and night  
Baby all I need is time

I don't wanna be so shy  
Every time that I'm alone I wonder why  
Hope that you will wait for me  
You'll see that you're the only one for me

I wanna believe in everything that you say  
'Cause it sounds so good  
But if you really want me, move slow  
There's things about me you just have to know

Sometimes I run  
Sometimes I hide  
Sometimes I'm scared of you  
But all I really want is to hold you tight  
Treat you right  
Be with you day and night  
Baby all I need is time

Just hang around and you'll see  
There's nowhere I'd rather be  
If you love me, trust in me  
The way that I trust in you

Sometimes I run  
Sometimes I hide  
Sometimes I'm scared of you  
But all I really want is to hold you tight  
Treat you right  
Be with you day and night  
Baby all I need is time

Once the song was over, Haley cleaned up her face, changed back into her clothes, and made her way outside the dressing room. Brooke had not yet returned from Orange Julius. Haley stared at the lingerie on the hanger she held as she bit her bottom lip in uncertainty. Finally she smiled and walked up to the counter and paid for it then slipped the small bag into one of her larger ones. She walked out of the store and headed in the direction Brooke had gone in. They met up a few feet away when Brooke walked out of Bath and Body Works. "Hey," she said as she handed the drink to her, "sorry, I got thirsty too so I drank some." "That's okay," Haley replied as she took the cup. She didn't really mind; she hadn't really wanted the drink anyway, she just asked her to go get it to get Brooke out of the store so she could buy that lingerie. Haley giggled to herself as she imagined the look on Brooke's face when she saw her in it.

They strolled in a companionable silence for a while, sometimes stopping in the stores to browse. Suddenly, for some unexplainable reason, Haley needed to feel Brooke's touch. She longed to take Brooke's hand and hold it in her own. Haley gently brushed her hand against Brooke's but she felt her push it away. "We're in public," she stated in a whisper sort of hiss, and Haley could detect the bitterness in her voice although Haley knew she was trying to hide it. Haley's face fell; Brooke was mad at her for pushing her away in the dressing room. However, this wasn't the only thing that made her sad; she felt rejected. Was it always going to be like this? Hiding their relationship from the public eye? Haley knew she would never be able to keep a secret this big for so long. She wanted to shout from the rooftops of how happy she was, that she had someone who loved her and who she loved back. But obviously Brooke was more worried about her reputation, otherwise Brooke probably would have taken her hand.

"Let's go in here," Brooke said as she walked into an Abercrombie & Fitch store, with Haley reluctant to follow. They looked around for several minutes while Brooke picked out a few shirts to try on. Brooke and Haley had moved on to the pants section when Brooke heard a cheery voice that sickened her. Katrina Combs. "Hey Brooke," Katrina greeted her then saw that she was with Haley and asked snootily, her face scrunching in disgust, "What are you doing here with _her_?" Brooke began to feel a little nervous, which caused her to stutter a little, "Uh, um, you see…Haley and I are friends and she needed some fashion advice and you know I'm always up for a shopping trip, so we came to the mall, to shop obviously." "Okay, well I'm going to go meet some of the girls from the squad. Do you want to come, Brooke?" Katrina inquired, looking pointedly at Brooke and ignoring Haley. "No thanks. Haley and I still have a few stores to hit. Maybe some other time," Brooke replied as sweetly as she could muster and put on a fake smile. _'God, that girl just makes me want to rip her head off!'_ Brooke thought to herself. "Yeah, some _other _time," Katrina responded haughtily as she walked out of the store to find her friends. Once the cheerleader had left, Brooke turned to say something to Haley but found her girlfriend glaring at her with her arms crossed. The glare continued for a few fleeting seconds until she abruptly stormed off. "Haley, wait!" Brooke called out as she tried to race after her, but it was no use; she had already gone.

Brooke wandered aimlessly around town for awhile. Haley had taken the car and Brooke had decided it would be better to walk and clear her head than call a cab. Tears were streaming down her face in torrents, her mascara streaking down her cheeks and they were flushed red. The minute after Haley had left, Brooke had realized her mistake. Brooke had called them _friends_. Why couldn't she just stick her foot in her mouth and leave it there? Because she always seemed to be saying things wrong lately; like just now. Brooke knew she needed to talk to Haley, to explain, but right now she just needed to have a really good cry. She needed to put on a pair of pajamas, crawl into bed, and hold one of her stuffed animals tight as she let the tears loose.

She trudged back to her large, empty house and sighed as she entered, looking around. It was all so weird, being back here. Brooke hadn't lived in her house for nearly two or three weeks and it seemed a lifetime ago since she'd last visited here. _'Visited. This place isn't even home to me anymore. I don't think it ever was. Haley's house is my home; Haley is my home…' _Brooke looked down as more tears fell down her cheeks. "I want to go home…" she whispered, although no one could hear her.

Slowly she climbed the stairs to her bedroom and when she entered, she saw Haley sitting on her desk chair, the angry expression before still showing on her face. "Haley, I-" Before Brooke could finish, Haley lit into her like gasoline on a fire. "Are you that embarrassed to be seen with me? That you won't tell anybody because of your precious reputation and popularity?" Suddenly, Brooke became angry too; not liking Haley's accusatory tone. So, she said the first thing that came to mind, "I don't see you flaunting it about or telling anyone! You haven't even told Lucas yet and he's your best friend!" Haley's expression changed from angry to pissed as she screamed, "He dated you Brooke! How do you think he would react? How he would feel? Peyton's your best friend too and you haven't told her either." "That's different…" Brooke began but Haley cut her off. "How Brooke? How is it different? Just admit it; you're ashamed to be with me. I've had enough of this! I'm out!" Haley gave her one last glare then slammed the bedroom door behind her and Brooke heard the same sound from the front door a few seconds later.

Brooke's eyes prickled with pain as the sobs rose in her throat, threatening to spill out and Brooke knew there would be no way to stop them once she started. Haley had left her. She was no longer her girlfriend. And it was all over with one little argument. Brooke let out a frustrated and sorrowful scream as she thought, _'When did everything get so complicated, so screwed up?' _Brooke crumbled onto the bed as she curled up, the tears beginning to fall uninhibitedly down her cheeks. The only thing that ran through her mind was that it was over and Haley was gone.

She lay there for several minutes until her bedspread was nearly soaked with her tears then slowly got up and went to grab a box of Kleenex. Suddenly she felt immense pain flood throughout her chest and she pressed a hand tight to her heart. She leaned over as she placed her other hand on her nightstand to brace herself as she tried hard to inhale deep breaths. Another jolt shot through her and she cried out in anguish as she collapsed to the floor, beginning to feel faint and dizzy. Her eyelids felt heavy and she felt herself going into unconsciousness…

Haley cried as she rushed back over to Brooke's house. She hadn't meant it, breaking up with her. She loved her; she was just upset over the whole Katrina thing and Brooke pushing her hand away when she wanted to hold it. She wanted to tell her friends, everybody, that she was dating Brooke Davis but she was scared of how her friends would react, especially Lucas. Their friendship had been rocky ever since she'd started tutoring Nathan and even though they'd been good with each other the last few weeks, Haley feared that this news would push him over the edge. She didn't want to lose her best friend; she needed him to be there for her, to support her.

She raced up the front steps of Brooke's house, not bothering to knock as she flung open the door and continued on up to her girlfriend's bedroom. Haley threw the door open and gasped as more tears began to fall down her cheeks. Brooke lay on the floor unconscious, her body convulsing and jerking as if she were being shocked with electricity. _'Oh god, she's having seizures!' _Haley thought, panic spreading through every fiber of her being. Quickly, she grabbed the phone and dialed 911. A lady's voice came over the speaker, "911 emergency, how can I help you?" "I-I need an ambulance…my-my girlfriend…" Haley cried as she wiped her face, trying to remain calm, achieving anything but. "What is your location ma'am," the lady asked. "4312 Rose Garden…please hurry…my girlfriend…she has a heart condition…I-I think she-she's dying…" Haley managed to get out through a choked sob that escaped her lips.


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! WOW! Two updates in about two days! I'm on a roll! This one is kind of short, but like The Sweetest Sin, I kind of left you guys on a cliffhanger so I didn't want to keep you all waiting for another week or two. Anyways, here's Chapter 20! I hope you all like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating:** PG to PG-13

**In the Presence of An Angel**

**Chapter 20**

Haley could not stop crying. She was curled up in an uncomfortable chair in the hospital waiting room with no news on Brooke's condition as of yet. The paramedics had gotten the seizures to stop about halfway through the ride to the hospital, but she hadn't woken up. The whole time on the ride to the hospital, Haley held Brooke's hand tightly yet gently in her own, whispering over and over as she kissed her all over her face and stroked her hair, "I'm so sorry baby, I didn't mean it. Please come back to me, please wake up…" Haley didn't have the heart to get up and go call their friends to let them know what had happened to Brooke; she feared that the doctor would come out to talk to her and she wouldn't be there. Haley shut her sore eyes tightly as she remembered coming into the hospital.

_The paramedics unloaded the gurney off the ambulance and Haley quickly followed in their wake, desperate to stay by Brooke's side. A doctor and some nurses came running out to meet them and ushered them into the hospital. Haley gasped when she noticed some blood trickling down the side of Brooke's mouth. She pointed this out to them and before she knew it, she was left standing in the hall, alone. _

_She raced back outside to use her cell phone and immediately called Toni. The phone rang for what seemed like forever until she heard the woman's voice come over the line, "Hello?" "Toni…" Haley cried, unable to stop from shaking. "Haley, is that you? What's wrong Haley," Toni asked, beginning to panic at the sound of her voice. "It-It's Brooke…she had another spike…oh god, it's worse than before Toni…she-she was having seizures and she had blood coming out of her mouth…we're at the hospital and-and I don't know what to do and they haven't told me anything yet…I'm just a mess right now…"Toni tried to sound calm for her friend, but knew that there was nothing to be calm about; seizures were serious, "I'll be right there Hales. Just hang on honey, I'll be there in just a few minutes…"_

_As soon as Toni arrived, she engulfed Haley in a tight hug, letting the girl cry on her shoulder for several minutes as she stroked her hair, trying to comfort the distraught girl. "Sh…Brooke will be okay, she'll be fine…" Toni murmured into her hair. Haley wrenched herself away, "No! You didn't see her Toni! The seizures…it was like she was being electrocuted and-and the blood coming out of her mouth! It-It's so much worse than you think…" Toni placed her hands on the girl's shoulders, "Haley, I know what you are going through. I see it every day." "No! You don't know what I'm going through," Haley cut her off as she screamed then suddenly she remembered that Toni was a nurse, and she worked here. She looked at Toni with pleading, teary eyes as she grabbed tightly onto the woman's shirt, "Toni, please…go to Brooke…help her…save my girlfriend…""I-I don't think they'll let me…" she started but she stared into Haley's eyes, filled with so much pain and sadness, "I'll try."_

Haley still sat there, unmoving, for another hour; she'd been waiting for nearly three hours on news of her girlfriend. Haley had a sickening feeling in her stomach. Why was it taking so long? Had things been even more worse than what she'd witnessed? She hugged her legs tighter to her body as she buried her head into her thighs. This was all her fault. If she hadn't yelled and broken up with Brooke, she wouldn't be here at the hospital and she wouldn't be waiting on news that could make her whole world fall apart. A curious thought nagged at the back of her mind. Had she caused Brooke's first spike? If so, what had triggered it? Tears anew masked her face at the realization that she was the cause of all this pain in Brooke. Haley didn't want to hurt Brooke.

She felt a hand on her back and a soft voice, "I heard about Brooke. How are you holding up?" Haley looked up and saw Danielle sitting beside her. "I'm not. They haven't told me anything and it's been almost three hours since we got here…" Haley replied, tears rising in her eyes once again as she looked at her friend and co-worker, her chin trembling, "she can't die, Danielle. I can't lose her. I'll die if I lose her…" Danielle hugged her and said soft, comforting words into her ear. There were only a few people at the hospital that knew of Haley and Brooke's relationship and those included were Toni, Danielle, and a girl named Holly who was also a volunteer and her age, just recently graduated from Tree Hill High last year. They stayed like that for several minutes when suddenly, somebody cleared their throat.

Both girls looked up and saw Toni standing before them. Haley gulped. She shakily stood on her two feet, "H-How is she? Is she alright? Please tell me!" Toni placed her hands on Haley's shoulders and gazed sympathetically into her eyes, "Maybe you should sit down…" Haley's knees went weak as she gripped onto the older woman, sobs beginning to tear from her throat, "Nooo! No! She's not dead…she can't be dead…I'm so sorry Brooke…" She mumbled this last part quietly into Toni's chest. "Haley, Brooke didn't die; she's alive. I just need to tell you some things that are very important that you must know," Toni said gently as she lowered herself and the girl in her arms onto some chairs.

"What is it then," Haley asked when she finally raised her head. "About twenty minutes after I went in there to help, we lost Brooke. Her heart stopped, but only for a minute or two. We got her back but those few minutes could have been crucial. During that time, her body was deprived of oxygen, which can lead to brain damage…" Haley interrupted her, her breathing quickening almost to the level of hyperventilation, "Her heart stopped? Brain damage?" Haley was desperately trying to take this all in. How could Brooke be okay if she suffered from brain damage? "What I was saying is that there could be brain damage but given the amount of time she was deprived of oxygen, there is a good chance that there won't be any," Toni responded. "But there's still a chance," Haley asked. Toni nodded silently. Haley buried her head in her hands for a few minutes then she wiped her face and looked up, "Can-Can I see her?" Toni nodded again as she helped her up and led her down the hall.

"Like the doctor told you the first time Brooke had a spike, she will be unconscious for a while. However, with the intensity of this spike, Brooke will need to stay in the hospital a few days before she can go home. Do you know what caused the spike this time?" Haley shut her eyes tightly and nodded without giving any information. "Well, whatever caused the spike needs to be taken away so this won't happen again. I hate to tell you this, but if you don't, the next one might kill her…" Haley stared at her wide-eyed for a few moments before she slowly nodded.

Toni left her at the door to Brooke's room and Haley hesitated a few minutes, biting her bottom lip, before she slowly pushed the door open and stepped inside. All the lights were out in the room except one over her bed and her skin was a sickly pale white just like it had been the last time, only now it was worse than before. She looked so delicate and fragile; cold. She slowly walked over and pulled the blankets up to her shoulders then dragged a chair to her bedside. Haley gently took Brooke's hand into her own then pressed it to her cheek and kissed it. "Brooke, I'm so sorry..." she cried as she laid her head on the side of the bed, finally letting the tears loose.

She stayed there for another hour or two, sometimes talking to her but mostly crying, before she decided it was time to let everyone know what had happened. She knew they would be furious that she didn't let them know sooner, but she had wanted to be alone at the time. Haley stood from her chair and leaned over the bed, giving her a slow, soft kiss on the lips and stroking her hair before leaving the room to go use a pay phone since she couldn't use her cell phone inside.

Everyone was freaked, to say the least, when they heard the news and said they would be at the hospital within minutes. Peyton and Luke arrived together first then came Jake and Jenny, and Nathan. As soon as the couple entered the waiting room, Peyton rushed over to her, worry and panic in her eyes. "Is she alright? What happened? Can we see her," Peyton bombarded her with questions in quick succession. "She's okay Peyton. Still unconscious, but okay. You can see her down the hall, Room 115," Haley replied. Lucas wrapped her in a tight hug, "You should have called us earlier. We could have stayed with you while you waited." "No, I wanted to be alone for a little bit," she responded as she spotted Jake come in with Jenny in his arms. "Um, I'm kind of thirsty so I'm gonna go to the cafeteria to get something to drink. Jake would you come with me? Do you guys want anything," Haley offered to her friends. They all said they were fine then went down the hall to visit Brooke.

"How are you holding up," Jake asked concernedly as she placed a hand on her back. "It hurts to breathe and I feel like I'm dying inside…It was my fault she's here now. It's all my fault…" she choked on a sob as she buried her head in her hands. He hugged her and asked gently, "What happened?" "W-We were at the mall and we ran into K-Katrina and-and she was being…well, Katrina and Brooke called us friends and I ran off… I was waiting for her when she came back to her house and we had this huge fight and I told her that we were over…I didn't mean it, any of it. I was upset about what happened in the mall and I ran back to tell her that and I raced into her room and-and I found her on the floor…she was having seizures! I can't lose her Jake!" she looked up at him with pain-filled eyes as she whispered, "what if I never get to say I'm sorry?"

"Don't talk like that Haley," he said a little gruffly, "Brooke's a strong girl; she'll pull through, just like she did last time…" Haley cut him off, "She didn't have seizures last time, Jake!" He wrapped his arm tighter around her, "I know, but I do know Brooke and she never gives up on anything without a fight…" He winced when he saw Haley look away, "Sorry, bad choice of words there. What I meant is that she loves you and she wouldn't give up on you; the love is too strong in here." He tapped her heart with his index finger. "But I'm the one that's hurting her…" Haley whispered as she looked down at the floor. "What," he asked. "Brooke is lying there unconscious, hurt, because of me. I'm the one that caused the spike… and Toni said that if I don't get rid of what's causing the spikes…she said that the next one might kill her… I can't do that to her Jake. I can't keep causing her pain just to be with her. Jake, I want you to do something for me…"

After their friends saw Brooke, Haley went to sit with her again. "I'm sorry…" she whispered to both herself and Brooke, knowing that her life would never be the same again. She kissed the back of her hand and leaned down to press her lips firmly to Brooke's. When she pulled away, she was startled by Brooke's brown eyes staring back at her and her raspy voice. Brooke gave her a small smile, "Now that's more like it." Haley let out a slight laugh. "So, how long was I out for this time," she asked. "A week," Haley responded, needing some comic relief, even if it was just for a few fleeting moments. "What! I was out for a week!" "No, I was just kidding. You were unconscious for about five or six hours, a little longer than last time…" Haley trailed off then said in a soft voice, "Brooke…I didn't mean what I said back there, at your house…" Brooke lifted one hand to caress the side of her cheek, "I know… but you did mean some of it… I'm scared too, Haley. I'm scared that some of our friends might not accept us being together but I'm not giving up on you. My life had no meaning until I met you. You're my world…" Brooke began to cry as she continued to rub her thumb softly over her cheek.

Haley shut her eyes tightly as she thought, _'Don't Brooke. Don't make this so much harder than it already is…' _She opened them again and kissed her tenderly, but it soon became passionate as Brooke wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. Their tongues roamed each other's mouths and Brooke's hand ran down her back and Haley's hands ran up and down the sides of Brooke's body. Haley moaned quietly, feeling herself getting lost in the kiss. She was drowning and she didn't want to come back up, never wanted to let go. Finally they broke apart for air and Brooke smirked, "That was one hell of a kiss. We should break up more often. Make-ups are always the best." Brooke didn't notice the pained look flash across Haley's face. Haley managed to give her a forced smile.

Suddenly, Peyton entered and she walked over to another chair on the other side of the bed and sat in it, a determined look on her face. She crossed her legs and folded her arms over her chest and smiled. "So how's your love life," she remarked with a smug look then pointed a finger at them, "and don't lie to me. I know you two are together; I saw you two kissing a few minutes ago." Haley turned her back to Peyton, an uncomfortable expression on her face, which Brooke noticed. The brunette responded, "Peyton, our love life is our business. But if you must know, we haven't done anything. And I would like it if you could keep our relationship a secret. We don't want anyone else to know right now, okay?" Haley acquired an angry expression on her face and she started to move from the bed when Brooke grabbed her hand, mouthing that they would talk about it once Peyton left.

"Sure," Peyton replied with a smile, "so how long has this been going on and who else knows about it?" "About two or three weeks and the people who know are Jake, Karen, Toni, the nurse who treated me last time I was here, and some of the other nurses who work with Haley," Brooke responded. "How did Jake and Karen find out? Did they catch you two making out like I did just now," she asked with a grin. "Jake knew about my feelings for Brooke before we got together and when we did, he noticed that we were closer with each other. Remember that night with Luke and the accident," Haley asked, referring to the night she'd kicked him, "well, the next morning I was talking to Brooke on my cell phone out on the back porch and Karen went to go get the newspaper from the front porch and she heard me."

Peyton nodded, "Okay, enough of the third degree. I'll leave you two alone for a while. Brooke, I'll visit you tomorrow and you can let me know when they're kicking you out of this joint so we can go partying." The blonde smiled at her friend. Haley replied sternly, "There will be none of that any time soon." Brooke rolled her eyes and let out a loud sigh of exasperation, "Oh god! The Nurse Nazi is back!" "Sucks to be you," Peyton laughed, sticking out her tongue as she left the room. "Come here," Brooke gestured with her hands to enter her open arms. Haley gently wrapped her arms around Brooke's body as she buried her head in the crook of her neck, breathing in the scent that was distinctly Brooke, trying to put it to memory. Brooke softly kissed her forehead. "I love you…" Haley murmured as she thought, _'I'm doing this for you, Brooke. I can't go on hurting you like this. It's for the best…'_

_gasp What is Haley going to do?_


	21. Chapter 21

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! Okay, so I know it's a freakishly SHORT chapter, but I wanted to get this chapter out to you guys after that cliffhanger I left you guys with in the last chapter, plus it seemed like a good spot to stop. Not much else to say other that I hope you all like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB. Lucky Bastards.

**Rating: **PG to PG-13

P.S. – I was in fact able to catch OTH last night and OMG! I hope Nathan is alright! I think it was kind of stupid for Nathan to make Lucas promise not to call Haley. I'm sort of a Naley fan on the show because, face it, how long do you think it's gonna take them to get Lucas and Haley together? Probably light years, way past time for me to be dead and I know I won't live that long, so I can dream through writing my fanfics. Okay, done ranting now. On with the story!

In the Presence of An Angel 

**Chapter 21**

It had been two days since she had been brought to the hospital and Brooke was miserable. Haley hadn't visited her since that night. She missed her girlfriend. Their friends had visited her at various times throughout the day, but she wanted to be alone with Haley; to snuggle up to her and wrap her arms around Haley's slender waist, feel the soft skin of her hips that sometimes peeked from the hip-hugger jeans she wore. She needed to feel her touch. She groaned in frustration; she was bored and she hated staying in one place for long periods of time. The doctor had ordered that this time she stay for a week due to the severity of Brooke's spike. This hospital would be the death of her yet.

There was a quiet knock then a face popped in and Brooke's face lit up in delight; it was Haley. "Hey! I've missed you SO much these past few days! What is so important that you have to miss seeing your girlfriend, who is in this wretched hell hole called a hospital, might I add?" Brooke asked cheerfully. Haley's face remained unchanged from the blank, emotionless frown she had on. "Brooke…we need to talk…" Brooke's happy smile faded into a frown of her own, "Uh oh, using those words together in a sentence, never a good sign. What did you want to talk about, babe?" Haley sat beside her on the edge of her hospital bed, "I know we really didn't talk about it before, but I wanted to know what caused you to have the spike, the first one…" "Oh," Brooke responded as she looked down at her hands, "I um, I saw you kissing Jake in the hallway at school and I remembered seeing you kiss Jake at the party and I thought I had lost my chance at being with you…"

"Oh…" Haley replied sadly. Her suspicions were now confirmed; she was the one hurting Brooke and the only way Brooke would get better is if she took herself out of the equation. "Brooke…we really need to talk," Haley began, tears welling behind her eyes, not wanting to do this, but she needed to; it was the only way Brooke would be able to get better. "Okay… you said that before…What's going on, Hales," Brooke asked as she took Haley's hand into her own. Haley squeezed her eyes shut tightly; this was painful enough just telling her, but for Brooke to hold her hand, trusting her to be there for her, was killing her. "I…um…why didn't you tell me?" "I don't know. If I had told you, you would have known about my feelings for you and I didn't know that you felt the same way and it didn't really matter because we got together anyway," Brooke shrugged. "It matters to me," Haley exclaimed as she placed a hand to her chest, "Brooke, I'm the one causing these spikes! I'm the one that's hurting you! I don't want to hurt you Brooke! And I won't hurt you anymore. I'm solving this problem right now by taking myself out of the equation." She said in a softer voice this time, "I can't hurt you anymore Brooke… I'm leaving Tree Hill. I love you and I'll never forget you. Goodbye Brooke." Haley said this sadly; the tears finally began to cascade down her cheeks as she lifted the large duffel bag from the floor. She walked over and gently laid a kiss on her lips then turned around and began to walk away, but Brooke grabbed her arm.

"If you leave me, then I want to go too, because with you is the only place I want to be," Brooke was crying now too. "Brooke, I can't keep on hurting you. Toni said…if the next spike is severe enough…you-you could die…" Haley began to sob, "I don't want you to die Brooke and if leaving you means that you'll live even a second longer, I'd do it in a heartbeat." "I'd die if you left me…" Brooke whispered then let out sort of a cross between a hiccup and a laugh, "I know it sounds cheesy, but I really would. These past few weeks, even when we were just friends, have been the best of my life. I really felt that I belonged somewhere, had a purpose. I have never felt this way before or felt for someone so much. I am totally, fairytale and all, head over heels in love with you Haley James. I would never be able to live if I lost you…" Brooke's grip on her arm was softer now and she let her fingers slide down to Haley's hand, tentatively entwining their fingers and kissing the back of her hand. She then quickly pulled Haley close and wrapped her arms around Haley's neck, hugging her tight as she whispered in her ear, "Please…" "Brooke…" Haley pulled away slightly. "Move in with me," Brooke stated out of the blue.

"What," Haley uttered quietly, her eyes wide with shock. "Move in with me, Haley. Let's get an apartment together. I love you so much and I never want to be away from you," she said softly as she lifted her hand and gently caressed her cheek with the back of her fingers, "You're my life…I don't know what I'd do without you…" Haley sighed as she searched Brooke's eyes deeply then closed her own eyes, a few tears trickling down her cheeks as she leaned into her hand. She then placed her hand over Brooke's, holding it there for several minutes. After what seemed like an eternity to Brooke, Haley said slowly, "Okay." "Okay? You mean you will," Brooke asked eagerly. Haley nodded and Brooke let out a sharp shriek as she hugged her again. Brooke pressed her lips hard to Haley's and entwined her fingers in her auburn tresses as their mouths fought for dominance over each other. When they needed air, both pulled away and Brooke pressed her forehead against Haley's, closing her eyes as she placed another chaste kiss on her swollen lips, "I love you." "I love you too," Haley responded as she put one hand behind Brooke's neck and brought her head down again for another long kiss.

The rest of the week that Brooke spent in the hospital went by fast, unlike the two days just after being admitted into the ICU. Of course, this was because Haley was there. Brooke had finally been released from the hospital on orders that she had to use the wheelchair at all times unless she was walking short distances, like from the bed to the bathroom. They were now going around town, trying to scope out an apartment for themselves. So far, they had looked at three of them and two of them were out of their price range, the third was just a plain dump. So now here they were at yet another apartment complex, waiting for the landlord to get the key to the apartment they would be looking at.

"Look Hales, I can pop a wheelie," Brooke said with a grin as she performed the maneuver. "Brooke, don't do that! You could hurt yourself doing that," Haley exclaimed sternly. "Aww, come on babe, I'm just trying to have a little fun. I hate sitting in this thing all the time. It is SO boring," she replied with a huff. "It's better than being confined to a bed isn't it?" "Not if you're in it," Brooke smirked. "Brooke!" Haley gently hit her in the shoulder.

Before they could say anything else, the landlord appeared with a ring of keys. "Okay, right this way ladies and I'll show you the apartment. Will you be needing handicap access," he asked as he glanced at Brooke. "Oh, no, this thing's just temporary. I'll be up and at 'em in no time," the brunette responded. "Alright, this is the apartment. It's fully furnished; two bedroom, one bathroom. You get all the utilities…" he rambled off more things about the apartment as they walked through the interior, looking at everything. After they were done with the tour, Haley said to the guy, "Could you please give us a few minutes to discuss?" He nodded then walked back to his own apartment, which also served as the office.

"So what do you think," Haley asked. She really liked the place. It was a nice apartment and a great neighborhood. There was lots of greenery and it was near a park. It was also a close distance from the school, café, and the hospital. "I love it, Hales. It's perfect. Oh, I want it Haley. Can we please get it? Please?" Brooke begged with her hands clasped together, her lower lip sticking out in a childish pout. "Alright, let's go give him the down payment and sign the lease papers," Haley replied as she gestured for her girlfriend to follow. Once all the legalities were finished and they were given a set of keys. Both went back to the apartment to look at their new home again. Just as they stepped back outside to head out, they both saw Nathan come outside of his own apartment and groaned. Nathan saw them and smiled, walking over. Haley and Brooke looked at each other. Brooke asked, "Is there any chance we can revoke our signatures or burn those lease papers?"


	22. Chapter 22

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! I'm finally back with another chapter of In the Presence of An Angel! I don't really have much to say other than that the last week has been pretty crazy with finals and getting things squared away because I'm a senior and I graduate on THURSDAY! YAY! For those of you who also read my other story The Sweetest Sin, I'm working on an update for you guys but I'm having a little trouble with how I want it to go but I'll try to get it out to you some time next week I hope because I have lots of things going on next week, including GRADUATION! YAY AGAIN! Anyways, it's a long one. I hope you all like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **MA, sexual content in this chapter! Just you so you kiddies are warned!

P.S. – Next week's episode of OTH is gonna be WACK! Dan kissing Karen? YIKES! I hope she slaps him in the face, or worse, kicks him in the balls. I hope Haley comes home for the season finale. Nathan moving back home? No way, he better not! Nathan and Lucas possible living under the same roof? I wonder if Lucas will ever go back to live with his mom… Anyways, done ranting now. On with the story!

**In the Presence of An Angel **

**Chapter 22**

It had been a few days since Haley and Brooke had gotten the apartment and they had gathered their friends at the café to tell them why they were moving in together. Even though most of their friends already knew that they were dating, Lucas and Nathan being the only exception, there were underlying reasons as well and they were going to use this as the reason they got an apartment together so it would not raise suspicion to the two unsuspecting Scott brothers. Everyone was gathered in the café, all except for Lucas and Peyton that is; they were running late. They were probably off somewhere making out, which was what both Haley and Brooke would rather be off doing together right at that moment. While everybody waited on the couple to arrive, they talked amongst themselves and both Brooke and Haley were in the kitchen, rehearsing what they were going to say as they paced back and forth.

The chime of the bell above the door was heard then the voices of Lucas and Peyton, all of them laughing as the couple tried to make up excuses for being late. Brooke turned to Haley and asked, "You ready for this?" "I guess," she responded a little nervously, "it's now right? We can't really say now or never because everyone will eventually find out eventually." "True," Brooke nodded then gently kissed her on the lips as she rubbed the sides of her shoulders, "come on, let's get this over with so we can go back to your house and make out. Then tomorrow we can enlist everybody's help to get all our stuff moved over to the apartment." Haley nodded and squeezed her hand, giving her a quick peck on the cheek, then pulled her towards the door, letting go just before she opened it.

"There you guys are," Peyton exclaimed, "where have you two been hiding? You're not planning on killing us, I hope, because we're all here…I would like to live to see my eighteenth birthday, thank you very much." "Yes, that's our master plan…murder all of you so we'll have no friends and no one to help us move into our new apartment," Brooke replied sarcastically. "Yeah, why are you doing that anyway? It seems kind of weird," Lucas responded. "Well, that's why we asked you all here. We wanted to explain why," Haley answered. Both noticed Peyton and Jake's eyes widen in surprise. They probably thought they were going to tell Lucas and Nathan about them dating. Brooke discreetly shook her head no towards them then began to speak, "You all know that our parents are never around so essentially we have the houses to ourselves but the houses are too big for just one person to live in, especially mine. And ever since Haley and I have been hanging out together these past few weeks, we've become really close friends. Plus, with Haley helping me recover and everything, it just seemed logical." All nodded in agreement to Brooke's explanation. Haley piped in, "Also, since Brooke is recovering still, we wanted to ask you all to help us get our stuff moved out of our houses and into the apartment. I know it will be hard work, especially with all of Brooke's stuff, but I can't do all that by myself; I'm going to need some help." "We'll do it," Lucas responded as he wrapped an arm around Peyton's shoulders. "I'm in," Jake said. "Me too," Nathan replied with a smirk on his face, "it wouldn't be nice if I didn't help out my two new sexy, beautiful neighbors out." He winked at them. "Watch it Scott," Brooke warned. "And why should I do that," he asked. "Because you are not getting with me and you're definitely not getting with Haley because Luke would kill you if you did; not to mention Haley. I mean, look what she did to Luke just when they were playing around," Brooke gestured to the lower half of Lucas' body. Lucas blushed slightly.

"Alright, so when are we going to get this moving party started," Jake asked, "I've got to go pick up Jenny from daycare but I'll have to bring her with me because my parents are out of town right now." "I'll watch her," Brooke volunteered. So then it was decided that everyone would leave in their respective cars and meet up at first Brooke's house then would take a load to the apartment then head over to Haley's house, as they would not be taking much furniture from Brooke's house. Brooke and Haley had decided that since they both spent most of their time at Haley's house, they would be taking most of the furniture from her bedroom and moving it to their room in the apartment. The other bedroom was really a guest bedroom, as they would be sharing a bedroom, but the their friends didn't know that so they decided to put Brooke's bed in that room and deem that one hers. Over the next two days, all their friends helped get everything moved while Brooke sat and played with Jenny in the living room of the apartment.

"Whew, I'm pooped," Haley remarked as she sank onto the couch beside Brooke after she had finished unpacking the rest of the boxes. "Tired," Brooke asked as she wrapped an arm around Haley's shoulders and kissed her forehead. "Yeah," Haley mumbled sleepily as she snuggled closer into her girlfriend. Brooke rubbed the side of her arm, "Come on, let's go to bed." She stood and carefully picked Haley up, who shrieked in fright, "Brooke, put me down! You could hurt yourself!" "I'm fine Haley," she replied as she carried her to their bedroom. She laid her down then crawled in beside her and wrapped her arms around Haley's waist, resting her head in the crook of Haley's neck. Haley hugged Brooke tighter to her body as she nuzzled her cheek with her nose. "I love you," she murmured softly, her voice and eyes heavy with sleep fast beginning to take over. "I love you too Hales," Brooke responded, kissing the column of her neck.

A few days later, Haley was busy preparing the apartment for later that night; it was a special night after all. Today marked the day that Brooke and Haley had officially been together for a month. Haley smiled as she cleaned up the apartment, thinking of everything she had planned out. Haley hadn't been sure what to get Brooke for an anniversary present at first. I mean, it had only been a month, right? Then she remembered something Brooke had said and after some deep thought, Haley finally came up with the perfect idea. While Haley prepared for the night ahead, she had enlisted Peyton's help in taking Brooke shopping to keep her occupied. Around five she started to cook dinner and then at six, she took a shower and changed into a different outfit. Brooke would be home soon.

Brooke sighed as she entered the apartment; she was tired. Usually shopping lifted her spirits, but even shopping with her best friend had been draining. She just wanted to go home to Haley and cuddle up on the couch. As she opened the door, Brooke was immediately bombarded with a tantalizing aroma. Brooke licked her lips in anticipation; the food Haley cooked was always wonderful. She walked into the kitchen and found Haley leaning over the table as she poured some champagne into some crystal glasses. Haley looked up and smiled when she saw Brooke standing there, a shocked expression on her face. She straightened up and walked over to her, wrapping her arms around Brooke's neck and softly kissed her for several seconds before she pulled away. "Happy Anniversary, baby," she whispered into her ear. Brooke's eyes widened even more, "Oh my god! I totally forgot! I'm so sorry Hales. I didn't even get you anything!" Brooke began to tear up and Haley placed a hand on her cheek, "Sh, it's okay. You didn't have to get me anything. I wanted to do this for you."

"I love you," Brooke said quietly as she hugged Haley tight to her body and kissed her on the forehead. "Love you too," Haley replied then grabbed the two glasses of champagne, "now let's make a toast. To us." She raised her glass and clinked it against Brooke's. They sipped it and then Haley ushered Brooke to sit down at the table then went to go get the plates of food. She brought them out a few minutes later and when Brooke took a bite, she moaned in satisfaction, "Haley, this is sooo good. It's lemon flavoring, isn't it?" Haley nodded in response. She had cooked lemon chicken with macaroni and cheese, potato salad and some green beans. "You should become a chef," Brooke suggested as she tasted the potato salad. "Nah, I keep my cooking in the home," Haley replied as she ate some of her chicken.

After they had eaten, Brooke helped Haley clean off the table then Haley pushed her out of the kitchen, claiming she had to get the dessert ready. Brooke was on the couch reading a book when she heard Haley yell, "Dammit!" "What's wrong Haley," Brooke called out concernedly. Haley came out with tears in her eyes as she sniffled, "The dessert is ruined! I forgot to get some of the ingredients at the store and now we can't have dessert because I forgot the damn ingredients!" "It's alright Haley, we don't have to have dessert," Brooke tried to soothe her by rubbing her back. "No, it's not alright! We have to have dessert! Brooke, will you run down to the store and pick up the stuff I need? Please," Haley begged her. "Sure Hales, what do you need?" "I need some Maraschino cherries, the ones with the stems, some whipped cream, and a bag of chocolate chips, the Hershey's kind," Haley rattled off as she tried to remember what she needed. "Okay, I'll be back in about thirty or forty minutes," Brooke replied as she grabbed the keys to her car off the coffee table. Haley responded as Brooke headed to the front door, "Thanks Brooke." After Brooke left, Haley smiled. It would give her just enough time to get everything ready.

Forty-five minutes later, Brooke returned to the apartment with the ingredients; the lines had been horrendous. She had been stuck behind an old lady in the 20 Items or Less express lane and the lady had definitely had more than twenty items. The young male cashier had probably been too polite to ask her to move to another lane. She set down the bag in the kitchen and called out, "Hales? Where are you?" She received no answer and her brows scrunched in confusion. Where was she? She thought Haley might be in the bathroom, but when she checked, nobody was there. She decided to try looking in the bedroom.

Brooke walked into the bedroom, finding candles lit all around the room and rose petals covering the bed and floor. Her mouth hung open in shock at the sight, amazed at the beautiful room. Suddenly she heard the lock on the door click shut behind her and she whirled around to find Haley standing there with her feet crossed and hands clasped behind her back, wearing a silk white negligee nightgown that fell just above her knees and looking very shy and nervous. "Hales," Brooke uttered softly as she stared at her girlfriend. "Surprise…" Haley whispered bashfully with a small smile on her face as she looked down at the floor, her cheeks tinted a bright pink.

Brooke walked over to her and gently cupped her cheeks in her hands, staring at her with love and passion burning in her eyes. She then lightly pressed her lips to Haley's in a tender kiss that soon became more heated. "I love you…" she murmured into her mouth. Once they parted, Haley wrapped her arms around Brooke's neck and Brooke wrapped hers around Haley's waist. Haley smiled up at Brooke, "I love you too." Brooke rubbed Haley's lower back, running her hands over the silky material covering her body then stared into her eyes again, "Does this mean…" Haley smiled even wider, her eyelids heavy with love, "Only if you're ready too." Now it was Brooke's turn to grin widely and she pressed her mouth hard to hers, her hands beginning to roam her back. Haley kissed back with equal fervor and soon they had moved themselves to the bed.

Haley gently pushed Brooke down onto the pillows as she straddled her hips. Brooke gazed at her in open-mouthed amazement at this act; Haley had never been this forward before. Haley smiled at her and kissed her lips then she ran her hands up and down the sides of Brooke's body, sometimes darting an inch or two under her shirt. Haley moved her hands to Brooke's stomach, caressing the soft skin there then fingering the hem of her shirt. A flash of nervousness crossed her face and she bit her lip, but she smiled reassuringly at Brooke then slowly pulled Brooke's shirt off. She gazed down in wonderment at her creamy tanned breasts enclosed in a barrier of black lace. Haley reached around and fumbled with the clasp of Brooke's bra for a moment before finally succeeding in unhooking it. Gently she dragged the garment from her body and dropped it to the floor. Haley kissed her lips again before starting a slow trail down her body, placing deliberate, soft butterfly kisses on her skin, making Brooke wonder how she could be so good at this without having done it before. Haley stopped when she reached the top of Brooke's jeans and by now, Brooke was panting heavily, her chest rising and falling at a quick pace.

Haley unbuttoned her jeans then pulled the zipper down, pushing the flaps open as she circled her hands around Brooke's waist and then pushed the material down, Brooke obliging her by lifting her hips up. Once they were removed, Haley straddled her again and ran her hands over her delicate skin, caressing every place she touched. She then slowly, finally, brought her hands up to cup her breasts, gently running her palms over her nipples, which became hard and erect. The nervous expression appeared on Haley's face again as she bit her bottom lip. Brooke saw this and replied as she rubbed the sides of Haley's arms, "You don't have to do anything you don't want to Hales. Unless you're having second thoughts…" Brooke gazed at her concernedly. "No, I'm ready. It's just… I-I… this is my first time and you're so much more experienced than I am… I don't know what to do… I'm really nervous. I'm scared that I won't be good enough…" Haley confessed as tears marred her delicate features.

"Oh sweetie, no," Brooke cupped her cheeks and caressed them slowly with her thumbs, "what you were doing just now, kissing me, made me feel like I was on Cloud 9. Hell, I was on Cloud 9. Your mouth is so amazing… what you do to me with just a simple kiss or touch of your hand… it's indescribable… You make me feel like I'm the inadequate one." Haley giggled lightly as she hugged Brooke and laid her head in the crook of her neck, "Really?" "God Hales, yes… no one's ever made me feel that way. I was near ready to burst right then and there just from that little act. It makes me wonder what's going to happen when we go all the way…" She smiled at Haley as she stroked her hair and rubbed her back for a few moments before she asked, "Would it make you feel better if I went first? That way you won't be so nervous?" Haley nodded and kissed her lips.

Brooke began to rub the tops of her thighs as she gently massaged them, trailing her fingers along her smooth skin then moving them to the underside of her thighs, squeezing them. She moved her hands up along Haley's body, caressing her back. Slowly, she moved her hands to the edge of her nightgown and stared into Haley's eyes, silently asking for permission to go further. Haley nodded her consent and Brooke slid the straps over her shoulders, placing a feather-light kiss in each spot. She then carefully lifted the negligee over her head, revealing a bra and panties, both the same white as the garment that had covered them. She smirked at Haley, "You just had to make it harder for me, didn't you Hales?" Haley chuckled in response, "No, I was making it fair. I wasn't going to make it so easy for you that all you had to do was take off the nightgown and I'd be naked when I had to take off your shirt and your pants. Where's the fun in that?" "You little tease," Brooke laughed as she covered Haley's mouth with her own.

Brooke lifted one hand, fingering the clasp on the front of her bra as she stared into Haley's eyes. "Is it okay," Brooke asked concernedly. She remembered what had happened the last time she had tried to touch her there and didn't want to push her to do anything she didn't want to or wasn't comfortable with. She nodded again, love burning in her chocolate brown orbs as she rubbed Brooke's lower back. Brooke skillfully got the clasp undone in seconds and then slowly pulled the bra open as if she were opening a present; a present she had waited an entire lifetime for.

Brooke lightly caressed the tops of Haley's breasts with her hands, taking her time so Haley would get used to her touching her in such an intimate place. Then she gently placed a kiss on each breast and cupped them in her hands, tenderly beginning to massage them. Haley moaned and threw her head back, causing her chest to thrust forward. Brooke ran her thumb around the circumference of her areola then slowly dragged it over her nipple. "Brooke…" Haley whimpered in pleasure. Brooke smiled at the reaction she was causing in Haley. She laid back onto the bed, pulling Haley down with her as she carefully turned them over so that she was on top. She straddled Haley's waist then performed the same treatment on her breasts again before she leaned down and gently took one into her mouth. Haley gasped as she arched her hips, pushing into Brooke, causing the brunette to moan.

She did the same thing to her other breast then scooted up to kiss Haley's neck. Brooke slowly licked the skin of her collarbone, feeling her shudder beneath her body. She moved back down, this time further, kissing her stomach then she licked her soft skin in a large circle around her navel before moving her tongue just above the spot, steadily darting it against her skin in the same place. Haley's moans were almost incessant now as she panted breathlessly, gripping the sheets tightly in her fists as her hands fast turned white. Brooke could feel the muscles in Haley's stomach clench in pleasure beneath the ministrations of her tongue.

"Brooke baby…please…no more…" Haley whimpered. Brooke smiled as she sat up, "You want me to stop? Darn, and I had so much more planned…" She grinned devilishly at her girlfriend, taking in her beauty and her highly aroused state. Haley was lying back on the bed with her eyes closed, her hair splayed all around her head, and breathing heavily in short little gasps, her chest heaving with every breath she took, grasping the sheets between her hands as she tossed her head from side to side. "I don't think I can take much more of this…" Haley murmured as she inhaled quickly again. Brooke leaned down again and kissed along the edge of her panties near her pelvic bone and Haley arched her hips up again. Brooke then dragged one finger languidly up and down her right inner thigh then stopped a moment later, her finger less than an inch away from her panties.

"More…" Haley begged when she no longer felt Brooke's hand running up and down her leg. Brooke resumed her movements but this time on the other thigh. After a few more minutes, she moved her finger and lightly stroked her through her panties, waiting for her reaction, not sure if Haley wanted to go that far. Haley let out a throaty, sensual moan and this only spurred Brooke's actions. She began to stroke her again, feeling the wetness that had already soaked through her panties and formed a damp circle on the dark sheets. Brooke gently blew some of her breath on the wet lace, causing Haley to gasp sharply and let out a squeak of surprise. Haley felt the cold air between her legs and it only furthered her need for her girlfriend. "Brooke…please…I need you…" she whispered in a hoarse voice.

Brooke lifted her hands and slowly pulled down the straps of her panties, slipping them off when they reached her ankles. Haley spread her legs wide, her eyes closed in anticipation of what would happen next. Brooke ran one finger down along her slit before rubbing her mound with the palm of her hand. "Tigger…now…please…" she begged again. Brooke silenced her by placing a finger to her lips, "Sh, be patient. Good things come to those who wait, Hales, very good things." She smiled at her then kissed her lips, lingering there for a few moments before moving back down again. Brooke began to massage her clit with her thumb and forefinger, rolling the sensitive nub of flesh slowly then gently tugging on it. Haley's hips bucked up in pleasure and she let out a strangled scream then started to pant again. Brooke scooted up more then languidly licked up and down her slit with her tongue, darting it between her folds a few times. Haley moaned and gripped the sheets even tighter.

Brooke held Haley's hips down with her hands as she started to flick her clit with her tongue before drawing it into her mouth, gently sucking it. "Oh god…" Haley cried out loudly, tossing her head from side to side. Brooke lapped at her juices, overflowing from her intense arousal, darting her tongue in and out of her folds, trying to get every last drop, savoring her taste. "Brooke, I'm getting so close…" Haley murmured quietly. "Hales, look at me," she requested, waiting for her to open her eyes. Once she did so, Brooke said to her in a soothing voice, "What I do next might hurt a little, but don't be scared, it's normal okay? It will only hurt for a few seconds okay sweetie?" Haley nodded in understanding, giving her all the permission she needed. Brooke slowly slid one finger inside of her and Haley let out a small cry as two tears trickled down her cheeks. Brooke took Haley's hand into her free one and kissed the back of her hand, "It's okay baby, it's over. Just relax a minute or two and let your body adjust."

They laid there for a couple minutes while Haley stayed still, feeling her insides conform to the shape of Brooke's finger. "Okay," she replied, allowing Brooke to continue. Brooke began to move her finger in and out slowly, watching Haley's face for any sign of pain, of which she found none. She then slid in one more, beginning to move at a slightly faster pace, causing Haley to moan. Soon Brooke added a third finger then began to rub her clit with her thumb as she moved her fingers in and out at an incredible pace. Haley's chest heaved up and down as she panted more heavily than ever before, her constant mutterings of "Oh god…" said in increasing volume as she felt a warm tingling sensation rise in her stomach. "Tigger…don't stop…I'm almost there…" she moaned. Not a minute later, Haley finally felt the rush of warmth flow through her body, causing her to shudder in absolute bliss and ecstasy as she cried out Brooke's name.

Brooke kissed her tenderly for several long moments as Haley rode the waves of her climax. Haley wrapped her arms around Brooke's waist and sighed contentedly into her neck. They rested for a little while then Haley stared up at Brooke and smiled. She kissed Brooke's forehead then her neck, in that little spot she knew drove Brooke crazy. "My turn…" she chuckled before turning them over so Haley was once again on top. Brooke smirked and her eyes sparkled with delight and love, "Ooh, I can't wait. If it's anything like last time… I'll soon be in heaven." Then she added, "But then again, I'm in heaven right here in your arms." Haley hugged her then began to run her hands up and down the sides of her body, sometimes dragging her nails lightly along her skin. She then began to leave a trail of soft kisses down her left side, stopping at the waist just above her hip to suck at the sensitive skin after Brooke moaned loudly in response to the attention there.

She did the same thing to her right side then started to kiss around the area of her collarbone and upper part of her chest, purposely avoiding her breasts. Brooke moaned sensually when Haley's warm lips made contact with that vulnerable little spot near her collarbone and her already short, fast little gasps of breath became even more shallow and frequent. She moved down and started to kiss her way up from the edge of Brooke's panties to just below her two creamy, supple mounds. Haley raised her hands to caress them and she just barely grazed her hands over them, but it seemed that a spark had ignited within Brooke and she thrust her chest up, yearning for more of her touch. Her eyes were closed in bliss at Haley's small, gentle hands touching her body. Haley smiled with a mischievous glint in her eyes as an idea came to mind.

Haley leaned down and slowly dragged her tongue from the bottom curve of her left breast to the tip of her hard, pebbled peak then darted her tongue against it, licking and caressing it slowly. "Oh god…Hales…" Brooke whimpered weakly as she began to pant more heavily. Haley gently drew the nipple into her mouth, beginning to suck slowly before quickening her pace. "Hales…Hales…" Brooked muttered between ragged breaths as she began to stroke her between her legs again. Haley tried to restrain against her will to let Brooke continue and she pushed Brooke's hand away then leaned down and kissed her, whispering seductively, "You had your turn, now it's mine. Besides there will be more time for that later. Remember Brooke, good things come to those who wait, very good things." Haley smiled as she repeated what Brooke had said. "I don't think I'll last much longer," Brooke replied hoarsely. "Sucks for you then. I had something really special I was planning to do. Now I guess you'll never know. It's sort of a one-chance deal, you pass it up then it's your loss," Haley smirked. "Alright, alright, do whatever you were going to do," Brooke waved her hand at Haley to continue. Haley grinned devilishly, "Alright, you asked for it. Don't say I didn't warn you."

Haley scooted down Brooke's body and kissed just below her navel then began to lick her skin like Brooke had before slowly starting to move down towards her pelvic bone. When she got to the edge of her panties, she kissed her in the middle just above the waistband. Haley slowly began to lick her there too and Brooke's eyes shot open in surprise when her tongue slipped under the material, darting in and out against her skin. "Jesus…Hales…" Brooke managed to get out between moans of ecstasy. Haley slowly brought her hands up and pulled her panties down and off her legs then continued further downward with her ministrations. Haley slowly licked up and down Brooke's opening before lapping at the juices seeping from her folds. Then she began to lick and suck at Brooke's clit until she screamed out in pleasure. "Hales…now…please…" Brooke begged as she gripped the sheets between her fists.

"Tell me what you want," Haley whispered seductively in her ear, blowing her warm breath into her ear. "I want…you…need you…inside me…" Brooke managed to get out through her rapid little gasps of breath. Haley grinned devilishly then slid her finger between her folds only partially, "Is this what you want?" Brooke made a sharp intake of air at this and she moaned, "Yes…no…more…" She tried to scoot down, to push Haley's finger further inside her, but Haley pulled it out. "Baby…please…" Brooke whimpered. "Oh, this," Haley asked coyly as she slipped her finger inside her a little bit again. "Yes…" the brunette whispered weakly, "stop teasing me…" "Well, if you say so," Haley smiled, laughter in her brown eyes. She then slid her finger fully inside her and both of them moaned at the feel of Haley inside her.

Haley began to move her finger slowly in and out before moving to a faster pace, Brooke's sensual moaning spurring her actions. Haley's mouth smothered Brooke's as her free hand drifted over her breasts, unconsciously rubbing them, causing her nipples to harden. She began to massage them as she took a nipple into her mouth, gently suckling it. Brooke arched her hips up, causing Haley's finger to move further inside her and she let out a pleasurable grunt in response. Brooke's breaths were heavy and shallow by now, her eyelids fluttering up and down as if she were fighting sleep. Haley's fingers continued to slide back and forth, in and out, quickly. "Slow down…" Brooke uttered softly. "What? Why," Haley asked confusedly. "Just…trust me…slow down…" she managed to get out through her labored breathing. Haley did as told and she gasped when she felt Brooke push a finger inside her, matching her own pace inside Brooke. Brooke thrust her hips down along the bed then up, moving down when Haley moved up, pushing Haley deeper inside her, closer to her very core. Brooke began to move her finger faster inside Haley as she felt the heat rising in her stomach. They matched their paces and soon the rush of warmth spread throughout both their bodies as they called out each other's names.

Haley collapsed on top of Brooke, breathing heavily as her lips sought Brooke's. They kissed tenderly for several long minutes. Haley rolled to the side and snuggled into Brooke's body, closing her eyes contentedly. Brooke did the same, stroking her hair and kissing her forehead, "I love you Hales." Haley moved her head up and lightly pressed her lips to Brooke's, "I love you too Tigger." Brooke closed her eyes as well and they both fell into a peaceful slumber.

The next morning, Haley and Brooke walked into the school, their arms linked and made their way to Brooke's locker. Peyton walked up to them and her eyes widened as her face acquired a shocked expression. She leaned in and whispered in surprised hiss, "You guys had sex!" "What? No we didn't…" Haley started then smiled sheepishly at Peyton's look and responded meekly, "how did you know?" "It's written all over your faces! You're both glowing!" Peyton exclaimed then asked, "so, how was it?" "Peyt!" Haley shrieked then whispered quietly when she saw people look their way, "that's sacred information. Information that you will never get to know because I won't tell you and neither will Brooke." "Oh, I'll find a way to get it out of you, don't you worry. I always get what I want," she smirked as Lucas walked up to the trio and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Hey babe," he greeted as he kissed her lips. Peyton mouthed to Brooke and Haley, "Watch and learn girls." Peyton whispered into Lucas' ear and he smiled a moment later. He wiggled his eyebrows at her in suggestion, "Meet you at your house later?" Peyton gave the other two girls a satisfied smirk of victory. Haley replied with a roll of her eyes, "Oh please, he's just horny. He'll do anything to get into your pants." Everyone turned to her with shocked expressions and wide eyes. Haley had never said anything that blatant before.


	23. Chapter 23

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! I'm finally back with another chapter of ITPOAA! Aren't you all so happy? At least I am. I really struggled with what I wanted to write in this chapter since it was right after a major event in the story. I really wanted to write a fun scene and I hope I achieved that in this chapter. I hope you guys like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **K+ to T

P.S. – I will probably be updating TSS next then FOWB, but it depends on which story I get inspired for the most lol

P.S. again – I kind of wrote this chapter a little different. I wrote it like I did with the first few chapters, in different POVs.

**In the Presence of An Angel **

**Chapter 23**

Haley's POV

Okay, so here I am at 9:00 on a Friday night among a throng a people dancing and jiving to some of today's hottest music. And where was I? Sitting on a couch, alone.

Brooke and I had been lying on our bed in the apartment, bored, and trying to think of something to do. Okay, so we weren't really bored; we were making out like there was no tomorrow. But after a while, I did get bored and we stopped. How could I get bored, you ask? I mean, come on, I have Brooke Davis as my girlfriend; she's hot, I can't deny that. So how in the hell did I find myself pulling away? I guess sometimes you have to take a little breather and come up for air, right?

We thought for a while, pondering what we could do, besides make out of course, and Brooke said she wanted to do something fun. And when Brooke Davis wants to have fun, she means a party. One of her little things about her parties though? She never had them at her house. She didn't want to be left to clean up the mess and have naked people in her bed. Well, except for me and herself, that is. So, the unsuspecting victim tonight? Nathan Scott's apartment.

Within the first few days of moving into our own apartment, Brooke and I had quickly discovered the hiding place for the spare key to Nathan's apartment that he often used when he came home drunk and was too wasted to even find the right key on his key ring. It's amazing how he was even able to get home. So Brooke called a few people, okay well she called almost the whole school, and invited them to the party. We went shopping for the snacks and got out whatever was left in Nathan's cabinets and poured them into bowls. And of course being Brooke Davis, she had connections for the alcohol.

When Nathan came home, he was surprised to say the least but he immediately joined in the festivities.

Did I mention I was alone? Parties were never really my kind of scene and I didn't know where the hell Brooke was, probably somewhere getting drunk off her ass and paying no mind to the advice I had given her. I mean, I'm only her girlfriend looking out for her own best interest. Why should she listen to me? I had asked her not to drink, worried that if she did, it might affect her heart and my heart had had one too many scares in the last two months since we'd begun dating and even before that when we were just friends.

I take a sip of my punch and watch everything that's happening around me. I see couples kissing, dancing to a slow song in each other's arms, some stupid jocks drinking and playing games… I wish I had that. Not the stupid jocks of course, but I wished I was dancing with Brooke and kissing her. I sighed heavily and stared into my cup of punch then set it on the table and made my way towards the keg.

Brooke's POV

I was sitting in the kitchen on a stool, bored, as Jake and Nathan talked basketball and I had no idea where Peyton and Lucas were, probably making out somewhere, or worse, having sex in Nathan's bedroom. Nathan would be scarred for life.

Why was I bored? Especially at one of my own parties? Because I wasn't pissed drunk and Haley was not to be found. It's amazing the kind of effect she has on me. Ever since the party that night that seemed so long ago, I haven't had a drop of alcohol. That's just the way she is. She has this aura that whenever she's around you, she makes you want to be a better person, do anything you can to be the best person you can be. Sometimes I feel so inadequate around her. She's so perfect and I have a bad past, bad habits. I wish I could throw all my bad past and memories and bad habits into a pot and burn it to ashes, start anew. But Haley once said that you can't have a future without a past and a present. Your past shapes you and prevents you from making the same mistakes; it's part of who you are. What you do in the present, can affect your future. Boy, I am becoming insightful, aren't I? That's just how much Haley rubs off on me.

Suddenly I felt the urgent need to see my girlfriend. I left the kitchen and went in search of Haley, finding her sitting at one end of the couch looking very uncomfortable, a couple making out on the other end. She had what looked like a cup of vodka in her hand and my eyes widened in surprise at this. Haley wasn't much of a drinker and when she did, she usually didn't hit the hard stuff like she was now. It worried me that something may be wrong and I approached her concernedly.

As I neared her, she looked up and our eyes met. My breath caught quick in my throat at the loneliness shining from them. I immediately felt bad for leaving her. Earlier, Jake had asked Haley to dance and I felt that she was in good hands so I had moved on to find our other friends. I slowly approached her and wordlessly took her hand, pulling her up off the couch and leading her down the hallway to Nathan's spare bedroom. Thankfully, it was empty. I closed the door behind us then turned to her and wrapped her in a tight hug that lasted for several indeterminable minutes. I softly kissed her cheek then her lips, both seeking and giving comfort. "I'm sorry I left you alone," I whispered when we pulled away, my nose grazing a few strands of her hair as I nuzzled her cheek. "It's okay. You're here now," Haley replied softly as she wrapped her arms around me and laid her head on my shoulder, placing a butterfly kiss on my neck, which sent shivers down my spine.

We stayed like that, just holding each other, for several minutes, content at just being near one another again. The hug ended when Haley pulled away. She took her hand and pulled me towards the door as she gave Brooke a small smile, "Come on, let's go find the gang." We found them all in the kitchen playing a game of 'I Never'. Tonight the gang consisted of Peyton and Lucas, Jake, Nathan, Tim, Mouth, and his new girlfriend Erica.

Normal POV

"Hey guys, may we join in," Haley asked as she sat down beside Lucas. "Sure, the more people the better," Nathan responded as he poured some shots for them. "Okay, who's next," Mouth asked. "Well Lucas went last time so now it's Haley's turn. Haley?" Nathan responded. "Oh I don't know. Mine are kind of pretty stupid…" she replied. "C'mon Hales, you've gotta do it," Lucas said. "Okay, okay. Um…I've never been to a strip club." All the guys except Mouth groaned as they all downed their shots as well as Brooke and Peyton. "Did you have to bring that up? I'm still scarred from that one time we had an away game and Tim took us to a strip club and it was an all guys night. Meaning there were male strippers…" Lucas responded, a disgusted look on his face, as everyone else laughed.

"Mouth, your turn," Erica said happily, bouncing in her seat and almost falling out of her chair. She was obviously drunk. "Okay, uh…" his cheeks tinted a bright pink as he lowered his head, "I uh, I've never had sex." Everyone except Mouth and Erica drank their shots. Erica leaned into him and whispered in his ear loud enough for all of them to hear, gently tugging on his ear, "We'll take care of that later tonight baby." Mouth's eyes widened in shock and a priceless expression appeared on his face. All of the others laughed. Lucas turned to Haley, noticing that she had downed her shot, and asked with a slightly mad expression and angry tone, "You've had sex! With who?" Lucas' mind reeled at this new information. His sweet, innocent little Haley had been 'deflowered'? He wanted to murder the guy who did this to her, even though it must have been consensual. He wanted to keep his sweet Haley the way she was. She was the prodigal one of the group of friends. "I don't kiss and tell; it's something special that should remain between the two people. It's none of your business, Luke," she responded, a cross look appearing on her face.

Lucas raised his hands in defense, "Okay, okay, don't bite my head off." When Haley had gotten mad at Luke, Brooke discreetly took hold of Haley's hand beneath the table, both to calm her down and for what she had said. Haley turned and gave her a fleeting smile so the others wouldn't notice and gave her hand a light squeeze.

They continued on the game for a while when Brooke noticed that Haley was getting tired and looked a little sick from the slight green tint to her cheeks. Brooke excused them from the game for a few minutes and took her to the bathroom. "Hey, you feeling alright," Brooke asked concernedly as she rubbed her back in soothing circles. "No, not really," Haley mumbled as she leaned into Brooke's chest, "I don't feel so good. I have a really bad headache and I feel like I'm going to throw up." "How much did you have to drink tonight," Brooke asked, stroking her hair. "Just two; some beer and a cup of vodka," she replied, "Brooke, can we go home? I really don't feel well." "Sure Hales, let's go," Brooke responded as she wrapped an arm around her shoulders and guided her out of the bathroom and back into the kitchen to say goodbye to their friends.

"Hey guys? We're going to head out. Haley isn't feeling too well so we're gonna go home so she can get some rest. We'll see you guys later," Brooke said as she lifted her hand in a wave and the others called out their farewells as she led Haley out of the apartment and across the hall into their own. "Come on baby, let's get you changed into some pajamas and into bed," Brooke said as she gently massaged Haley's head with her fingers then remembered her headache and pulled it away, "sorry." "No, that felt good. Do it some more." Haley responded as she rested her head on Brooke's shoulder. Brooke helped Haley get changed into some pajamas then dressed into her own and slipping under the covers beside her, continuing her massage of Haley's head. Haley's lips sought hers and gently kissed her when they made contact. She said softly, beginning to fall asleep, "Thank you for taking care of me." Brooke moved some of the hair that had fallen in her face and softly kissed her forehead, stroking her cheek, "I'd do anything for you baby." Haley smiled with her eyes closed as she drifted off to sleep, remembering the same time she had said those exact words to Brooke.

The next morning, Brooke was awakened by Haley's slender fingers creeping under her shirt then tracing circles on her stomach. In the last month since they'd first become intimate, Haley had begun to be more forward about what she wanted and when she wanted it. Like right now. Brooke responded with her eyes still closed, a small smile on her face, "I take it you're feeling better." Haley chuckled as she placed a gentle kiss on her mouth then deepened it as she scooted up along Brooke's body, "You could say that." Haley's hands moved further up her shirt and they lightly ran over Brooke's breasts, which caused her to moan and thrust her chest up from the hardening of her nipples and the pleasurable feeling Haley created in her.

Brooke's hands found their way under Haley's tank top and she began to copy Haley's actions. Soon their shirts were tossed to the floor and their shorts were kicked off, leaving them both in only a pair of panties. Haley's hands roamed her breasts as she kissed each one all over, again and again. Brooke gently massaged Haley's breasts then began to suck on one until Haley moaned. Haley placed her hands on Brooke's cheeks and pulled her face to hers, their lips crashing together in a heated, passionate kiss.

They kissed for another twenty minutes and were still making out when suddenly, their bedroom door was flung open. "Hey Ha-" Nathan stopped short when he saw Haley and Brooke making out topless and practically naked on her bed. His jaw dropped and his eyes nearly bulged right out of his sockets at the sight. Haley and Brooke, startled, broke away from each other and try to cover themselves. "Nate!" Haley shrieked. "Nathan," Brooke screamed. Haley noticed something and said uncomfortably, "Nate um….your, um…" Brooke noticed it too and responded sharply with a roll of her eyes, "Nathan, shove your dick back in your pants and zip it up. We don't want to see Mr. Winkie popping out." Nathan nodded mutely, still too stunned by what he just saw. "Now get out and wait for us in the living room," Brooke yelled as she pointed towards the door. He nodded silently again.

A few minutes later, Haley came out into the living room fully clothed with her arms crossed, an angry expression on her face. "Nathan, what are you going here and why did you enter our apartment without knocking," she inquired. "I came to see if you wanted to do something together, hang out. I figured I'd be like Lucas and just come in without knocking. You're usually up by now so I thought I'd just go into your room, figuring Brooke would still be asleep since she's not a morning person…well, she is now I guess," Nathan smirked. "Nathan," Brooke shrieked and slapped him in the shoulder, hearing this as she walked out of the bedroom, she too now clothed in a bathrobe. "Sorry," he replied. "Yeah, but Lucas has the common sense and decency not to barge into my bedroom unannounced!" Haley exclaimed.

"Sorry. Won't happen again," he responded as he moved towards the front door. "Hey, I thought you wanted to hang out," Haley inquired. "Nah, I'll let you two continue your activities. At least now I know who you had sex with," Nathan smirked again as he opened the door and stepped out. He turned back to them as he began to close the door, "Bye guys. Oh, and thanks for the show." He winked at them and laughed as he swiftly shut the door, blocking a tennis shoe Haley had thrown at him.


	24. Chapter 24

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! Long time no see! Yes you're not seeing things. I know you've all had to wait for a new chapter to ITPOAA but you don't have to anymore! In light of ITPOAA finally being restored, I am posting a new chapter. It's kind of short. Inspiration has been running kind of low for this story lately so you might have to wait longer for chapters and they may be shorter. I don't know. But ITPOAA is FAR from over. I still have lots planned. Anyways, I hope you like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **K+ to T

**In the Presence of An Angel**

**Chapter 24 **

After Brooke and Haley had gotten over the shock of what he'd said, Haley stormed out of the apartment and across the hall, opening the door without even knocking. "Nathan Daniel Scott!" she screamed. Nathan visibly cringed; he hated his middle name. "That was rude," she replied childishly yet angrily, one hand still on the doorknob, the other on her hip, and tapping her foot in irritation. "What," he shrugged. "That little comment you just made about 'the show'," she replied, using her fingers for quotations. "What guy wouldn't want to see two hot girls making out? The bonus was being topless and only in underwear. Jeez Hales, didn't know you had it in you to wear a thong," he grinned cheekily at her. Haley punched him in the shoulder, "Nate!" "Ow," Nathan exclaimed as he rubbed the spot, "that hurt." "Well you deserve it. You're such a baby," she responded. "Hey, I got an idea! You said you wanted to hang out, right? Why don't you and Brooke go swimming in your bikinis while I watch from the lifeguard tower with binoculars? Ooh! Better yet, go skinny-dipping," Nathan looked at her excitedly, hope in his eyes.

Haley hit him hard in the back of the head and pinched his arm with her long fingernails. "You're such a pervert, TIM," she emphasized his friend's name. "Okay, okay! I was just kidding! You know I'm really not like that. I was just playing around." "You had better be," she warned with a glare. "Or what," Nathan goaded her. Haley thought for a moment, "I'll tell Brooke you hit on me and tried to grope me and she'll probably castrate you." Nathan's eyes widened and he covered his manhood, "I won't, I won't! Just don't send Brooke after me. Please!" "Good boy," Haley patted his head as she chuckled. Brooke walked in the door, "Can I castrate him yet?" "Sorry Brooke, I think we're gonna leave him be this one time," Haley responded. "Thank god," Nathan exclaimed.

"Nathan…" Haley began a few minutes later, a pleading look in her eyes as tears welled in them. "What Hales, what's wrong," he asked concernedly as he moved towards her and placed his hand on the side of her arm. "What you saw back there…please don't tell anyone about us, okay? Especially Lucas. We're not ready for him to know yet. He's the one that will take us being together the hardest. I-I just don't want to hurt him. And it'll hurt even more if he found out from someone else…" Tears fell down her cheeks and he gently wiped them away with his finger, "I promise I won't tell. Come here." He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight. "Thank you," Haley responded as she laid her head on his chest.

Brooke idly stood by as she watched her girlfriend be hugged. She knew she shouldn't feel jealous of Nathan, but she did. He was holding her, comforting her, and she wasn't. "Okay, I hate to break up this little love fest but Nathan, stop hugging my girlfriend. That's my job," Brooke pouted. Nathan smiled as he pulled back from Haley, "And apparently a lot of others too." He wiggled his eyebrows up and down as he smirked. "Nathan!" Haley swatted his shoulder. "Come on Hales, let's leave Tim alone so he can pleasure himself to his picture of Brittany Snow and we can go back to the apartment and pleasure each other," Brooke smirked and winked at both of them. Nathan's jaw dropped and his eyes widened in shock as did Haley's. Once she recovered, Haley placed both her hands on Brooke's shoulders and turned her towards the door, pushing her towards it. "Oh, you are so getting punished for that," Haley laughed. "Only if you use the whip and chains this time," Brooke giggled.

Peyton walked into Brooke and Haley's apartment and she heard giggling coming from one of the bedrooms. She rolled her eyes. She hoped that she and Luke weren't as bad as them two. "Guys! You can stop having sex now! I'm here and I don't want to hear that," Peyton screamed so they would hear her. Brooke and Haley came out a few minutes later, straightening their rumpled clothes and tousled hair. "Chill Peyt. We weren't doing anything naughty. We were just…" Brooke and Haley glanced at each other and shared a smile. "Making out like there was no tomorrow," Peyton supplied with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. "You could say that," Brooke replied. "Get the lipstick off your faces and get cleaned up. We're going shopping," Peyton smiled. "Yay," Brooke eyes widened in excitement as she jumped up and down and clapped her hands. "Oh great," Haley rolled her eyes as she placed her hands on her hips. Shopping with those two was hardly fun; they always made her try every little thing on like they were the older sisters and she was the younger and they were making her play dress up against her will.

Lucas' POV

Lucas sat on the bed in his room, staring hard at the two pictures in his hands. One of them was of himself and Haley and the other of himself and Peyton. Lately it felt as if Peyton had been lying to him. Was she cheating on him? It felt like she was pulling away from him. He thought they were so in love with each other. It pained him to think that she may be cheating on him, he loved her so much.

He gazed at the photograph of himself and Haley. They had been best friends for nearly sixteen years, since they'd been in diapers. Lately, he and Haley had been hanging out a lot more, much to his satisfaction. He loved spending time with his best friend. She was one of a kind, that Haley James. He loved her quirky smile, her infectious laugh, her sarcastic and joking attitude she had yet still was serious and smart. She was beautiful even though Haley would never admit it; she never thought of herself as all that pretty compared to the popular girls or the beach blonde bimbos as she so despisingly called some of the girls in the popular crowd that weren't her friends of course. He stared at her smiling face. In the past few days he had begun to think that maybe his strictly platonic feelings were changing for his best friend. Lucas was interrupted by a knock on his bedroom door and the object of his thoughts entering his room.

Normal POV

Haley saw Lucas deep in thought as she walked into his bedroom, staring at something in his hands. "Hey Broody, what ya broodin' about," she asked with a smile. Brooke was so rubbing off on her. "Nothing," he replied sullenly as he placed the two pictures back in his nightstand drawer. Haley cocked her head to the side, "Then why do you look so sad? What's bothering you Luke?" She rubbed his back in slow circles to comfort him. Lucas gritted his teeth, fighting the urge to throw caution to the wind and see if he really did have feelings for Haley, his best friend. "I-" he began as he stared up into her brown eyes. There was so much concern and love in them. He decided it was now or never; he needed to know if he really felt about her that way or if he was just confused about how things were going with Peyton. She'd been kind of distant lately. Lucas stood from the bed and placed his hand on her arm before quickly placing his lips on hers, leaving her no time to object.

Haley abruptly pulled away, a furious and confused expression on her face. "Luke, what the hell was that," she screamed. Her first reaction was to hit him but she didn't want to hurt him, neither physically nor emotionally. Lucas pulled back, realizing he hadn't felt anything in the kiss. He had mistaken the love in her eyes; she only had a platonic love for him. He was more reassured now that he needed to patch things up with Peyton. He stared at Haley, looking so vulnerable and uncomfortable by her best friend of fifteen years kissing her. He gently grabbed her elbow in his hand as he gazed at her with pleading eyes, "Hales, I am so sorry. I don't know what came over me…" "How could you do that to your girlfriend? You know, Peyton, my best friend? God Luke, how could you do that to me! I'm your best friend! I'm dating someone," Haley shouted as she flailed her arms about in her rage, not realizing what she had just said.

Lucas' eyes widened in surprise, "What!" The words now sank into Haley's mind and she became still and quiet, fearing what he would do and say when she told him because she knew he wouldn't back down now. He wouldn't stop until she told him. "I-I'm sort of seeing someone…" Haley began meekly, keeping her gaze to the floor. "Who is this guy that you're dating," Lucas demanded angrily, his nostrils flaring and his face turning red. Haley stared at anything and everything but Lucas. "Um well, um, I'm not dating a guy exactly…" she began to bite her bottom lip and wrung her hands in nervousness. His eyes widened even more in shock as this information sunk in. "Y-You mean you're dating a girl," he asked, stuttering, completely stunned and taken aback. Haley nodded silently as she stared at the floor, cringing inwardly, awaiting his outburst. "Who," Lucas asked quietly in a deadly whisper, his voice cold and emotionless. Haley bit her lip again as tears began to stream down her cheeks. "Brooke," she whispered. Lucas stared at her silently for a few moments with a seething angry look on his face then turned and ran from his bedroom without a word.


	25. Chapter 25

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! Sorry for such a LONG wait for this chapter! I was having really bad writer's block for this chapter and wasn't really inspired to write for a while and when I finally was, I was having trouble putting into words what I wanted to say. This chapter has LOTS, LOTS, LOTS of DRAMA! So be ready for it! I hope you all like it and it is all you expected it to be for such an important chapter! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **K+ to T

P.S – Jordan, I am so glad you like my story! Thank you for your WONDERFUL reviews! Well, I won't keep you any longer because I know you're dying in anticipation to read this chapter. Thanks again for reading and reviewing!

**In the Presence of An Angel **

**Chapter 25 **

Haley sobbed uncontrollably as she drove back to the apartment complex. As soon as she put her car into park, she raced up to the apartment, slamming the door behind her and stumbling through as she rushed to their room and threw herself on the bed. Brooke, who was watching a movie with Peyton on the couch, looked after her girlfriend concernedly and got up. "I think I'm gonna go…So you guys can talk and stuff…" Peyton said as she stood from the couch. She too was worried about Haley and wondered what was wrong. "Thanks Peyt," Brooke replied with a light squeeze of her shoulder then hugged her, "I'll talk to you later okay?" She nodded then gathered her purse and before she left, she whispered to her friend with a sad look, "I hope she's okay…" "Me too…" Brooke said quietly as she looked to the closed bedroom door.

Brooke slowly walked towards their bedroom and cautiously knocked on the door before entering. She found Haley sobbing into a pillow even more than when she'd first come into the apartment. Her heart broke at seeing her girlfriend in so much pain and knew that only one thing could make her this upset. Lucas. He must have found out about them being together. She carefully lowered herself onto the bed beside Haley, and brushed some hair away from her face. "Hales? Baby, what's wrong," she said softly as she stroked the back of her head. Haley turned her head to the side to face her and Brooke saw that her face was a tomato red, swollen and blotchy from crying. "Luke…he-he kissed me and-and we got into a fight and I h-had a slip of the t-tongue and-and…I told him about us and…Oh, it was so horrible, Brooke! He didn't say anything but-but I could see that he was furious. T-Then he just left…H-He was so pissed and hurt…"

She started to sob even more and Brooke gathered Haley in her arms, kissing her mouth gently, "Oh baby…" "Don't Brooke, I'm not in the mood," Haley weakly shoved her away as she stood from the bed, "I-I just want to be alone right now." She cried as she ran from the room and into the guest bedroom, slamming the door behind her and curling up on the bed. Brooke sat there on the bed in their room as she cringed when she heard the other door slam and tears welled in her eyes, her chin and lower lip trembling. She choked back a sob of her own as she laid down on the bed, occupying the pillow Haley had been using just moments before.

The next morning was a silent one as each ate breakfast, Haley curled up on one end of the couch with a bowl of cereal and Brooke at the table with an Eggo waffle. Brooke didn't want to say anything to upset her, knowing she was still in a fragile state, and was trying to respect her need for distance between them, but it was killing her inside. She hated not being able to comfort her, kiss her and stroke her hair, tell her that everything would be alright. But she knew this time it wasn't a sure thing. Brooke didn't know for certain that everything would be alright. Haley's best friend, one she knew almost fully as herself because they'd been together since childhood, hadn't reacted well to the news that his best friend was dating his ex-girlfriend, and a girl no less.

Haley really didn't feel like talking to anyone, at least not to anyone but Lucas, and seeing as how he reacted, they wouldn't be talking anytime soon. When Haley finished her bowl of cereal, she grabbed her keys off the counter and her book bag off the floor, heading towards the door. She didn't feel like going to school today. She was exhausted from crying all night but she needed a distraction. Part of it was also because she had Lucas in her last hour class and part of her wanted to see him, talk to him, but the other part of her was mad at him. Mad at him for reacting the way he did. They were best friends; he should be happy for her, and even though she knew he might be a little shocked or mad that she was dating Brooke, his ex-girlfriend, she never expected him to be so angry and pissed. She hadn't expected him to run off. She hadn't expected him to not say anything.

She put her hand on the doorknob and then looked to Brooke, who was staring down at her plate, slowly swirling a piece of waffle in some syrup. Haley looked at her sadly for a moment before staring at her feet then fixing her gaze back to the doorknob. She said softly, "I um, I have some stuff to do in the tutoring center so um, I'm gonna head over to the school early. I'll uh, I'll see you later. Bye." Then she was gone, slipping quietly outside of the apartment. As soon as Haley left, Brooke choked back a sob as she buried her head in her hands. Haley was isolating and alienating herself from everyone around her, and the worst part was that she was alienating her too.

Later that day in English class, Brooke watched Haley closely in concern. Haley was slumped down in her seat, her arms crossed, a blank look on her face. Even though Brooke was sitting one row over and one seat behind Haley, she could see that she had formed a pout with her beautiful mouth and she looked on sadly, wishing she could comfort her girlfriend. Haley didn't feel like talking, at all, and she hoped the teacher would notice that and not call on her as he usually did when some other person would give him the wrong answer. She just wanted to go home and curl up in bed with Mr. Waffles, her childhood teddy bear that Luke had given her for her sixth birthday. She tried hard to fight the tears that were constantly threatening to fall. She couldn't stop thinking about Lucas and how hurt and angry he was and how mad at him she was for reacting that way. And sad because she was losing her best friend and all because he couldn't accept who she was dating. A few tears slipped and fell down her cheeks but she quickly wiped them away, hoping no one had noticed.

Brooke saw Haley wipe her face with her hand and her heart broke, knowing she was crying. She ripped out a piece of paper from her notebook and began to write. _Hey, are you okay? _Brooke shook her head. Of course she wasn't okay. She scribbled it out then tried again. _How are you doing? _She shook her head again and growled to herself. That wasn't right either. She scribbled that line out too and poised her pen over the paper, biting her bottom lip, obviously fighting with herself in trying to find the right words to say to her without upsetting her more. She finally decided to just go with her first suggestion. _Hey, are you okay? I um, I saw you crying and I- I just wanted to know how you're doing…Please talk to me… -Brooke. _She folded up the paper and leaned over, slowly sliding it onto Haley's desk when the teacher turned his back to write on the chalkboard.

Haley returned it two minutes later and Brooke unfolded it quickly, eager for her answer, even though she knew it wouldn't be a good answer, a happy answer. _I'm fine. _That was all it said. She winced at the two harsh, thick red lines under the last word. She was writing in red pen. Brooke knew she was anything but fine. She was closing herself off, withdrawing into a shell. _No, you're not fine! Why won't you talk to me? Why won't you tell me what happened between you and Lucas last night? _She tried passing the note back to Haley, but she ignored her. Brooke pursed her lips slightly in irritation then hit her leg to get her attention. Haley let out a little squeak of surprise and pain as she leaned down and rubbed the spot, shooting a glare her way. Brooke's eyes widened, now remembering she was wearing pointy high-heeled shoes today. Mostly it was just in case she ran into Lucas today so she could give him a piece of her mind for treating Haley so badly and reacting the way he did. "I'm sorry," Brooke mouthed to her, a pleading look in her eyes. Haley grabbed the piece of paper from her and opened it, reading what was written, and returning it back with her own response. _I told you, I'm fine. You can believe it or not for all I care. What happened between Luke and I is none of your business... _Before Brooke could finish reading the note, the teacher snatched it out of her hands. To both Brooke and Haley's horror, he read it, but thankfully not out loud.

"Ms. James, we do not want to hear what happened between you and Lucas Scott last night and frankly, I'm surprised to see you passing notes, which is something we don't do in this classroom and you know that," he replied as he dropped the note back onto Brooke's desk and Haley's cheeks burned in embarrassment. Brooke read the rest of the note quickly. _…but if you're so intent on knowing, I'll tell you. Luke kissed me, we fought, and when it was over, he left without a word and I was crying on the floor. There, you know. Now don't bother me anymore, I'm trying to concentrate._ A few tears welled in Brooke's eyes and fell down her cheeks. When class let out, Brooke quickly grabbed her books, hoping to catch Haley before she headed out. Haley was still gathering her things and had just crammed in the last book, beginning to leave when Brooke grabbed her arm, "Hales…" She turned her head to face Brooke and glared at her, trying to pull her arm out of her grasp, but Brooke's hand held fast. "Let go of me, Brooke," Haley said firmly then in a softer, weaker voice, "please…let me go." Brooke dropped her hand and stared at the floor, whispering, "I'm sorry…" Haley quickly ran off, exiting the classroom, leaving Brooke feeling even more saddened and heartbroken than before.

Lunchtime finally came around and Haley grabbed her lunch from her locker after she had put her books away, heading to the outside eating area. She settled down under a tree about twenty yards away from the cluster of concrete tables and picnic benches, away from all the noise and boisterous laughing, all the happiness. She just wanted to be alone so she could cry.

At one of the tables sat Brooke, Peyton, Jake, and Nathan. Lucas was absent of course, and Brooke was somewhat glad he had decided not to show up at lunch today because she wasn't sure if she'd be able to restrain from choking him to death. She waited for Haley to arrive, thinking she would at least sit by Peyton if Haley didn't want to talk to her, but she was wrong. She looked around for a few minutes, finally spotting her sitting under a tree all by herself. Brooke could only see her from an angle, but she could see that Haley was crying again, her head buried in her hands. Brooke frowned, wishing she could comfort her girlfriend, but Haley didn't want to be near her. She wondered with worry if Haley couldn't handle losing her best friend to be with her, if Haley was breaking up with her. She was brought out of her thoughts by Peyton's voice and the snapping of her fingers. "Hello, earth to Brooke," Peyton called out. Brooke shook her head to rid her thoughts, "What?" "Where's Haley," she asked. Brooke dropped her head for a moment to hide the tears welling in her eyes then lifted it back up, nodding in the general direction of the tree where Haley sat. "She's over there," Brooke said quietly.

"Why isn't she sitting over here with us? But more importantly, why isn't she sitting with you," Peyton inquired. "She's been avoiding me," Brooke mumbled as she stared at her hands in her lap. "What? Why," Peyton asked concernedly, her eyes wide, then said quietly, "Is it because of last night…" Brooke nodded, her own voice barely above a whisper as she tried to fight the tears from falling, "She told Luke about us…Didn't get the reaction she was hoping for…" Peyton's hand flew to her mouth as she gasped, her eyes widening even more, "What'd he say?" "He didn't say anything, just ran off and left Haley broken and crying on the floor. She lost her best friend, Peyt. I want to help her through this, comfort her, but she won't let me near her. I don't know what to do Peyt," finally the tears came cascading down her cheeks and her friend wrapped her in a tight hug, letting her cry on her shoulder. "Why don't you go talk to her," Peyton suggested as she stroked her hair. "She doesn't want to talk to me," Brooke responded morosely. "A little persistence never hurt anything. Come on, where's the stubborn girl I know that doesn't take no for an answer?" Brooke sniffled as she wiped her eyes, "I'll try." "There's the Brooke Davis I know," Peyton smiled as she rubbed her back. Brooke smiled slightly, hoping the talk with Haley would go better than the last few times she had attempted to talk to her about the situation with Lucas.

Brooke stood from the table and slowly walked over to where Haley was sitting, still crying with her head in her hands. She bit her lip nervously, wanting to comfort her girlfriend but knowing she was in public, she couldn't do that. "Hey," Brooke said softly as she kneeled down on the ground. Haley's head shot up and she quickly wiped her eyes and cheeks. "What do you want," Haley said in a weak, shaky voice that still held a coldness to it. Brooke quickly looked to see that no one was watching then gently grabbed Haley's hand in her own and placed her other hand on Haley's knee. "I want you to talk to me," Brooke whispered, tears of her own in her eyes, "Haley, I love you. We're in this together. You can't push me away all the time and close yourself off. It hurts when you don't talk to me, when you push me away…" "What happened between Lucas and I doesn't concern you," Haley replied sternly, pulling her hand from Brooke's and crossing her arms stubbornly. "The hell it doesn't," Brooke responded, her voice rising as a mad expression formed on her face, "You told Lucas about us, Haley. _Us. _You and me. So I don't see how it doesn't concern me."

"Leave me alone Brooke," Haley griped as she turned her head away. "No," Brooke replied as she firmly grabbed Haley's chin in her hand and made Haley face her again, "Stop pushing me away. Please talk to me Hales? What are you thinking? What are you feeling?" "No," Haley simply replied. "Dammit Hales, I love you!" Brooke's voice was loud now with her increasing anger, "What is it gonna take for you to talk to me, huh? This?" Brooke, still holding her chin, lunged forward and planted her lips firmly on Haley's, kissing her intensely in all her frustration at her girlfriend, yet still holding all the passion and love she had for her. Haley forcefully pushed her away and Brooke fell back onto the grass, a stunned and hurt expression on her face as tears once again welled in her eyes. "You shouldn't have done that," Haley whispered as she quickly threw her book bag over her shoulder and ran off. It was only then Brooke realized she was sitting in the courtyard of Tree Hill High School at lunch time and hundreds of pairs of eyes were all trained on her.

Haley drove aimlessly around town for a long while, not really knowing where to go or having a set destination in mind. She couldn't go home to the apartment. That would no doubt be the first place Brooke would look if she had followed after her. She couldn't go to Lucas' house; that was obvious. She had finally decided to head to the docks when her cell phone rang. Knowing it was probably Brooke calling to try and talk to her, she ignored it. The annoying, incessant ringing started up again after a moment of silence. Growling in anger she grabbed her phone and put it to her ear, pressing TALK. "What," she said coldly, another growl escaping from her lips. "Oh my god, Haley! I know you're at school and everything but Luke's been arrested! I need you to come meet me down at the police station," Karen's frantic voice came over the phone. "Serves him right," Haley muttered to herself then said louder so Karen could hear, "Why was he arrested?" "The police got an anonymous call saying they had evidence on him attacking and r-rap…I-I can't even say it! The person said it was you he attacked! It's not true, Haley, is it? I know he would never hurt you, esp-especially like that…" Haley's eyes widened as Karen explained what had happened. Who could have done this? Brooke certainly wouldn't have done it. It had to have been the note…but the only other person who read it besides Brooke, was Mr. Baker, their English teacher. Haley groaned and mumbled to herself, "Damn you Brooke." "What'd you say Haley, I didn't hear you," Karen replied. "I'll be down there in a little bit. I'll see you when I get there. Bye Karen," Haley responded before hanging up, not staying on the line long enough to hear Karen's farewell.

When Haley arrived at the police station, she shivered despite the sweltering atmosphere and stuffy room and also because she was scared too. She had never been in so much trouble as to have to talk to the police. She wrapped her arms around herself, uncomfortable at being here. As soon as Karen spotted her, she ran over and engulfed her in a tight hug. When she pulled away, she noticed the dried tears and mascara streaks on her face and asked, "Haley, are you alright? You've been crying. Why?" Haley could already feel the tears rush to her eyes once again. Everything in her world was spinning out of control. She lost her best friend, she'd had a fight with her girlfriend… She just didn't know what to do anymore. Haley sank down onto a nearby bench as she buried her head in her hands and began to sob. Karen gently sat down beside her and started to rub her back slowly, trying to soothe and calm her. "I-I don't know what to do anymore…" Haley choked out through her cries, "I-I told Luke about us, about Brooke and I, and he-he didn't say anything, Karen. He just ran off! He doesn't accept the fact that I'm with Brooke. T-Then I had a fight with Brooke at school today and…everything's just a mess. I lost my best friend…and now I think I'm losing my girlfriend too…"

"Oh honey," Karen said softly as she stroked her hair, "I'm so sorry…" Haley nodded as she wrapped her arms around the older woman's waist and hugged her tight. They stayed like that for several minutes until Karen pulled away, lightly pressing her lips to Haley's forehead. Haley squeezed her eyes shut as she felt the tears well up again, remembering all the times Lucas used to do that. "Haley," she began gently, "I want to talk to you about why I called you here…" She nodded slowly, pulling away and wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "Why did the anonymous caller say that Lucas attacked and r-raped you," Karen's voice got shaky near the end. Haley sighed as she ran a hand through her hair, "I know who the caller was, Karen. It was Mr. Baker, my English teacher. Brooke wrote me a note in class wanting to know what had happened between Lucas and I when we had the fight because I hadn't told her yet and I guess I worded it in a way that could have insinuated that he attacked me, but the teacher took the note and read it and I guess that's how he thought I was attacked and- you know…" Haley trailed off quietly but was interrupted from explaining further.

"Haley James," she heard her name called and she turned to see a police officer with a folder of papers in hand. She gulped hard and turned to Karen, who gave her a small encouraging smile. She then rose from her seat and walked to meet the officer, "I'm Haley James." "Come with me please," he ordered and she followed him to a small cubicle office. He gestured for her to sit and she did, clutching her purse tight to her body nervously as she clamped her legs together, crossing them at the ankles and folding them under the chair. "Now Ms. James," he began, clasping his hands together on the desk, "Can you tell me why you're here?" Haley fought not to roll her eyes. They should know why she was here; Karen had talked to them earlier. "Lucas Scott was arrested on charges of assault and rape because of an anonymous caller. I am here to dismiss the charges because the caller claimed that I was the victim. Lucas Scott did not attack me nor did he violate me sexually. This was just a misunderstanding over a note. The note was passed in class and the teacher read it, and it was he who I believe put in the call as he was the only other person besides myself and my friend to read the note. It may have been worded to insinuate that I was attacked and raped, now that I think about it, but that wasn't my intention. I'm sorry to have caused all this trouble over a misunderstanding," Haley explained as her anger at Lucas and Brooke increased. She wouldn't be in this situation if Lucas hadn't reacted this way. She wouldn't be here if Brooke hadn't kept pestering her to tell her what had happened between her and Lucas.

"Thank you, Ms. James, for coming down and clearing this up with us," he stood and offered out his hand, which she took, "I'll escort you out. It can be kind of a maze back here with all the offices." "No, it was no problem. But, um, I have a question," Haley asked as she bit her lip in uncertainty. "What is it," the officer questioned. "Can I, um, see him," Haley asked as she looked up at him. "Sure," he smiled, "Come with me and I'll take you to him. He should be released in a little while. They'll have to finalize his discharge papers and everything." Haley nodded in understanding as he led her back towards lock-up and she shuddered slightly. He led her down a hall of jail cells, most of which were thankfully empty. He stopped after a few more feet and said, "Scott! You've got someone to see you."

Lucas sat up in his bed and rubbed his eyes when he heard the officer's voice. It was probably his mom coming to bail him out. He looked up towards the door and saw Haley standing there, and he gasped in surprise. "Hales," he whispered. He slowly stood as he gazed at her, seeing nothing but a blank, emotionless expression on her face and her normally chocolate brown eyes were dark and ominous. He used to be able to read them so well, but now he couldn't. "How could you," she whispered softly, leaving it to hang in the air. Lucas wasn't ready to see her yet. He was still pissed off and upset and still trying to digest the information he'd been told yesterday. He tore his gaze away from her, breaking eye contact as he turned his back slightly to her. A tear leaked from her eye and slowly rolled down her cheek.

When Haley saw Lucas look away, her anger at him mounted even further and she screamed at him through the bars of the jail cell, "How could you! How could you react that way? How could you not say anything! How could you leave me like that! Why can't you just be happy for me?" "Hales…" he began again but instead, Haley turned to the officer, the mad expression still on her face, "You know what? Don't release him! Keep him in there for another day or two. Let him think about how badly he's been treating his best friend!" She then turned back to the blonde haired boy she'd known since they were toddlers, the boy she had thought would always be there to support her, "Goodbye Lucas." With that said, she turned on her heel and rushed out of the holding area, past Karen in the waiting room, and she could vaguely hear her call out to her, but she ignored it and kept on running, tears streaming down her face.

Peyton pulled up to the rivercourt in her convertible, sighing in relief when she spotted Haley on the picnic table. Brooke had begged her to go find Haley to make sure she was alright, knowing Haley wouldn't want to be near her after their fight at school. She was also busy trying to handle all of the many questions and the talking going on behind her back after more than half the population of Tree Hill High had seen their kiss in the courtyard. Nathan and Jake were trying to help her with the damage control as well. She slowly approached her and heard her sobbing, her heart breaking for her friend. She carefully climbed onto the picnic table beside her and wrapped her arms around her, holding her and stroking her hair, "Oh Hales…" "H-How c-could he react that way," Haley sobbed into her friend's shirt. "What happened," Peyton asked gently, knowing it hadn't gone well the times Brooke had tried to get it out of her. "I-I went over to g-go hang out with Luke and-and out of the blue, he-he kissed me and then I started screaming at him. How could he do this to me? How could he do this to you? And then I-I told him I was dating someone and he got this expression on his face and the look in his eyes…I was so scared about telling him…He asked who it was and I told him it was Brooke…he was so angry and pissed and hurt…he-he just didn't say anything and-and then he just ran off…" Haley sobbed in her friend's arms.

"Oh baby…" Peyton slowly rocked her as she stroked her hair and laid a gentle kiss on her forehead. She couldn't stop the hurt burning within her. Luke had kissed Haley. Her boyfriend of over a year had kissed his best friend, her best friend. She wasn't mad at Haley, no, never at Haley. She was the victim here; she'd been the one taken by surprise. She was innocent in all this. They sat there for a long while as Haley cried into her shirt and Peyton rocked her back and forth, trying to soothe and calm her. Finally, Haley's sobs had turned into quiet little whimpers here and there and she pulled away, tears still in her eyes. "I'm sorry. I got your shirt all wet," she said. Peyton let out a light laugh as she pulled Haley in for a tight hug, "It's okay. No harm done." "What am I gonna do, Peyt," Haley asked in a squeaky voice, "I can't lose my best friend, but I can't lose Brooke either. I don't want to have to choose. I can't choose. I don't want to hurt anybody. It's killing me because I don't know what to do. How did my life become such a mess?" Peyton hesitated a moment before speaking, not sure if this was the right time, when Haley was so vulnerable, to tell her the news. "Well, your life just got a little bit messier…" Peyton began, a little scared of what her reaction might be. Haley's brows furrowed in confusion, "What do you mean?" "Um, well, you know that kiss you and Brooke shared at lunch today?" Haley's eyes widened, probably realizing what Peyton was about to say. Peyton continued, "Well, um, more than half of the student body saw it and if they didn't see it, they probably know about it by now. Brooke, Nathan, and Jake are trying to handle the damage control now." Haley's mouth dropped open as tears began to well in her eyes again. "I-I have to go," Haley said weakly before scrambling off the picnic table and running to her car.

Lucas was lying on his bed when he heard the door to his bedroom that led outside open and close. "Jeez, doesn't anybody knock in this town," he grumbled quietly. He just wanted to be left alone. He'd already spent more than half a day at a police station in jail lock-up, yelled at by Haley, and had been chewed out by his mother royally for the way he had been treating Haley and what he had done to her. "How could you," a weak, teary voice said behind him and for a moment, he thought it was Haley but then recognized that it wasn't her voice speaking. He quickly sat up and turned around, "Peyton." "I just had to hold and watch your best friend cry for over an hour because she is so heartbroken and confused and hurt by the way you reacted and because she thought you would support her. You're her _best friend_ Luke; she values your opinion more than anyone else's." "I-I'm still trying to process it all…" Luke said quietly, running a hand through his hair. "I know you kissed her Luke," Peyton said with a cold expression on her face, her voice low with her arms crossed, "Why'd you do it? How could you cheat on me with my best friend?" "Peyton, the kiss didn't mean anything… I was just confused. We'd been kind of distant lately and I felt like you were lying to me. I-I thought you might be cheating on me…"

Peyton cut him off, her eyes narrowed as the anger built inside her, "You thought I was cheating on you so you decided to get me back by kissing Haley? You're an asshole, you know that? I haven't been cheating on you. I was distant because I knew about Brooke and Haley and they asked me to keep it a secret until they were ready to tell everyone. I had to try and stay away from you because I knew you would see right through me and then I'd tell you and Brooke and Haley would have been pissed at me. I'm sorry okay? I promised them I wouldn't tell!" "I'm your boyfriend Peyton, and she's my best friend! Don't you think I should know these things?" "I promised them Luke! I couldn't tell you," Peyton shouted exasperatedly, throwing her hands out from her sides. "You should have told me," he growled. "They're my best friends Luke; Haley's your best friend. Why can't you be happy for her, for them? Is it because Haley likes girls, Brooke, your ex-girlfriend no less…" Peyton asked then trailed off as a thought came to her and her eyes widened, tears welling in them, "Are you still in love with Brooke?" "What! No! Peyton…" Lucas' voice softened as he neared her, gently grabbing the elbows of her crossed arms, "Peyton, I love you. YOU. I'm not in love with Brooke anymore. I don't think we ever were in love. It's just hard, you know? Haley's like my sister because we're so close and then I find out she's gay. I don't know how to handle it. I never expected this to happen…" "Luke," Peyton said, pulling away from him a little, "I know this is all hard for you to digest, but I have to tell you something… I can forgive you for kissing Haley, but if you can't support or accept that my best friends are together, then I'm afraid I can't be your girlfriend. I promised Brooke a long time ago that it would always be hos over bros and I'm not going to break that promise now, as much as it hurts me to do this. You need to think long and hard about what you want, Lucas," Peyton stated softly, the tears finally falling down her cheeks. She slowly backed up a few steps before turning around and rushing out the door.


	26. Chapter 26

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! Yes, you're not seeing things… I am SO, SO sorry for taking so freaking long to update this story! My life's been pretty hectic lately. I was having writer's block for this story and trying to finish off my two Laley stories, The Sweetest Sin and Finding Our Way Back, then college started and….WHOA! College is freaking HARD! 30 page chapters and having to read 2 chaps a night! I swear these teachers are killing me! Anyways, again, I am so sorry for taking so long to update. I will try not to take so much time updating again but it all depends on my schedule. I hope you like this chapter and is well worth the wait! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **K+ to T, with some mild R

**In the Presence of An Angel **

**Chapter 26 **

There were only two things on Haley's mind as she raced back to the apartment: Brooke and the fact that people now knew about them. She was more than upset; she was terrified. More than half the school had seen them kissing in the courtyard and soon the whole town would know, because Tree Hill was a town where secrets could hardly be kept. Much like the day before, Haley rushed into the apartment, sobbing, and raced to the bedroom. As she flung open the door, she saw Brooke lying curled up in the middle of the bed, clutching one of her pillows in her arms as she too cried loudly through short gasps of air. "Brooke…" Haley whispered softly as she stood there in the doorway. She only hesitated a moment before lunging towards the bed. She climbed onto it and snuggled close behind her girlfriend, wrapping her arms around her waist and burying her face in Brooke's hair.

Brooke took Haley's arms and moved them from her body, scooting away from her to her own side of the bed. She was still mad at Haley for shutting her out and what had happened in the courtyard, Haley pushing her away after she kissed her, and also because Haley had left her all alone to fend off the masses after everything came out. Haley's chin and lower lip began to tremble even more as she slowly sat up and more tears cascaded down her cheeks in torrents. "I-I'm sorry," Haley sobbed as she wrapped her arms back around Brooke again, turning her slightly and kissing first her hair then her cheek, all over her face, and finally her lips. She pressed her mouth hard to Brooke's in a passionate kiss as she murmured through her short gasps of breath, "I love you…so much…I'm so sorry…give me another chance…please…I love you Brooke…"

At first Brooke resisted Haley's kiss, trying to get out of her grasp, but she could never resist her for long; she loved Haley too much. She finally returned the passion, pressing into her lips as she too wrapped her arms around Haley's waist, pulling her down on top of her. Haley placed her hands on the sides of Brooke's face as she deepened the kiss and Brooke began to run her hands up and down Haley's body, rubbing her back and caressing her soft skin. Brooke carefully flipped them over and straddled Haley's waist, her fingers touching her stomach softly. Haley moaned and this only furthered Brooke's need for her. Brooke brought her hands up and softly cupped Haley's breasts in her hands, squeezing them lightly and eliciting another moan from Haley's lips. Brooke started to unbutton Haley's shirt, beginning a trail of kisses from her lips, down her neck, in between her two supple mounds then across her stomach. "Brooke…" Haley moaned again as she tossed her head from side to side…

The next morning, Brooke slowly woke to the bright sun shining in her face and found the space next to her empty. She frowned, wondering where Haley was. She climbed out of bed and slipped her robe on, venturing through the living room to the kitchen for her daily morning cup of coffee. There she found Haley, standing in front of the sink staring out the large bay window as she sipped a mug of what looked to be hot chocolate. Brooke smiled and quietly walked up behind her, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend's waist and tilting her head slightly to the side, kissing Haley's cheek softly. "Good morning," Brooke whispered into her hair as she nuzzled Haley's neck with her nose.

"We shouldn't have done that last night," Haley said firmly after she took a sip of her mug, still not moving, "We were both upset and hurting. We took advantage of each other. It shouldn't have happened." Brooke felt Haley's body tense and stiffen up and she wondered if Haley was starting to push her away again. She dropped her arms to her sides and pulled away as a hurt expression formed on her face. "Hales, I agree that we were upset with everything going on…but you're my girlfriend and I love you…" she said softly as she gently grasped her shoulders and turned her around, raising her hand and caressing Haley's cheek, "After you told Lucas, you started pushing me away and wouldn't talk to me. I hated it. I hate when you shut me out and don't tell me how you're feeling…I just wanted to comfort you and hold you but you wouldn't let me…and I got upset…then everything was just building up inside and it all finally came out when we were in the courtyard and I kissed you…I was so hurt when you pushed me away…I thought you were breaking up with me…then I realized where I was and it all became just a blur. Everybody was asking questions all at once…I couldn't handle it…so I came home…then you came and I was still mad at you…things just escalated from there…"

By now tears were trickling down Brooke's cheeks. She whispered through her tears, shivering and wrapping the robe tighter around her body, "You're not breaking up with me, are you?" She started to cry a little more as her voice cracked, "You promised. You promised me that you were willing to take the risk to be with me even if you lost some people along the way-" Haley cut in, "But I thought-" "You thought Lucas would be supportive of us," Brooke finished for her then said, "Well he isn't Hales! Now you're going to break up with me because your ass of a friend just won't accept who you're with? You're going to risk going back to a friendship that will never be the same again and ruining a relationship that could last forever? Because I don't think I can be just friends with you Hales. I love you too much to go back to being just friends." Brooke turned and started to walk back towards the bedroom, sobbing.

"I don't want to hide anymore, Brooke..." Haley whispered so softly almost to the point that Brooke didn't hear her, her own tears falling down her cheeks. Brooke turned and faced her, her voice shaky with labored breaths from her crying, "W-What?" "I don't want to hide anymore," Haley repeated, this time a little stronger, "I want to be with you. I don't care what anybody thinks anymore. I want everyone to know that I'm dating the most wonderful, beautiful girl in all of Tree Hill and I'm her girlfriend. I know a lot of people will be against us, but I don't care. I thought Lucas would always be there for me through anything because we've been friends for so long but I guess this is just too much for him. If he can't be okay with us together then I guess I can't be friends with him. It'll be hard, but I guess I'll find some way to survive without him." She looked up at Brooke with tears in her eyes.

"Come here," Brooke said softly, reaching out and tugging on her jeans pocket to pull her closer. Haley moved closer and wrapped her arms around Brooke's waist, burying her head in the crook of her girlfriend's neck. "It just hurts so much that the one person you've known almost your whole life won't support you…" she choked on a sob, "Brooke, what if it were Peyton who hadn't supported you? What would you have done?" Brooke closed her eyes tight, not wanting to imagine the thought of Peyton not accepting her and Haley being together. "I would have done the same thing…" she whispered, "Friends come and go Hales, but love, true love, lasts forever. You can't pass up a chance on love, because you might not get it the next time around. Not everyone gets a second chance on love." Haley lifted her head up and smiled at Brooke through her tears, "I hope I never need a second chance on love, because that means I would have broken up with you and I don't ever want to lose you." She hugged her tight then and Brooke wrapped her arms around Haley's neck, softly stroking the back of her head and kissing her on the forehead, relishing at having Haley back in her arms again. "I don't ever want to lose you either…" she murmured as she placed another kiss on her temple.

Later that weekend, Haley and Brooke walked down the streets of Tree Hill towards Karen's Café with their hands linked between them, their fingers entwined. They received a few dirty looks but both women held their heads high, ignoring it. Haley was right; it was time to stop hiding. It wasn't like they could hide anyway; everyone already knew about them through the gossip chain. They entered the café and Karen smiled at them from the counter, gesturing them to sit wherever they wanted. They grabbed a circular booth along the wall and Karen came over a few minutes later with pen and order pad in hand. She smiled at the couple, a smirk forming on her face as she greeted them, "Must have been some kiss." Brooke's mouth dropped in shock. Haley just smiled at Karen then turned to Brooke and winked at her before responding to the older woman, "It sure was." Haley let out a soft giggle at both of their expressions.

Finally Karen cleared her throat and put her pen to the order pad, looking at them in questioning, "Well then…what would you two like to eat?" "I'll have a burger with fries and a Diet Coke and Haley will have a turkey club with fries and Mountain Dew," Brooke responded with a confident smile. "Hey, I can order my own food thank you very much," Haley protested. "I know that, but you get the same thing every time we come here for lunch, so why even ask," Brooke grinned as she stuck out her tongue. "Maybe I wanted something different this time," she responded defiantly. "Oh really, what are you going to get," Brooke asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk firmly in place. Haley crossed her arms over chest, a pout forming on her face as she sunk down in her seat and mumbled, " Turkey club with fries and Mountain Dew." "Told you," Brooke replied with a triumphant grin then leaned over and kissed her on the tip of her nose, "I know you too well." "Watch it, or you'll be sleeping in the doghouse tonight," Haley grumbled. "Hales, we don't have a dog," Brooke replied, deciding to play the ditzy card. "You know what I mean, Brooke," Haley rolled her eyes. "You two are just so cute," Karen laughed at their antics just as Jake walked up holding Jenny in her carrier.

"Looks like the cat's out of the bag," Jake smiled at the couple then asked, "Mind if Jenny and I join you?" "Sure, pull up a seat," Haley said as she gestured for him to sit. "So, how does it feel? Things being out in the open and everything?" Jake inquired. "Scary, but oddly…" Haley paused a moment, trying to find the right word. "Liberating," both Haley and Brooke said at the same time then smiled at each other. "Freaky," Jake responded, "You two got that ESP thing going on." "That is weird," they replied in unison then turned to each other again, "Whoa." "Okay, change of subject. How have things been since the whole 'coming out' in the courtyard? Any disgruntled citizens," he asked concernedly. "Not yet. We've mostly been staying inside so far this weekend, but I'm sure there will be more than a few kids at school who will want to rip us a new one," Brooke replied. "Don't worry, we got your back," Peyton smiled as she and Nathan walked up to the table and joined them. "Thanks guys," Haley smiled sincerely.

"Well, looks like the gang's all here, except for…" he stopped, not wanting to upset anyone as he knew it was a touchy subject for all of them. "Lucas," Haley said quietly, her eyes closed, then raised her head to look at Peyton, responding with a stronger voice, "Where is he? I thought you'd be with him." Peyton shifted uncomfortably in her seat as she crossed her arms over her chest and looked down, avoiding everyone's piercing stares. "No, I'm not with him. I um, I kind of gave him an ultimatum the other day…I kind of told him that if he couldn't support my two best friends being together then I couldn't be his girlfriend anymore and I haven't heard from him since. I guess the jury's still out on that one," Peyton responded quietly. "Peyton…" Brooke stared at her, eyes watering a little. "Hoes over Bros, remember? We always promised," she smiled half-heartedly. She really missed Lucas. Brooke nodded and wiped her eyes then laughed slightly. "I guess you don't have to worry about bros anymore, because I've got my hoe right here and she isn't going anywhere." She smiled as she wrapped an arm around Haley's shoulders. "Hey," Haley protested with a slap to her chest.

"Orders up," Karen said as she placed plates and drinks in front of everyone and they all replied with thanks before digging into their meals. They made small talk between bites of food until Jenny started to whine and cry. Jake pulled the little girl out of her carrier and held her to his chest, gently bouncing her in his arms and rubbing her back. This proved to be fruitless because Jenny refused to stop crying. Finally he gave up and rolled his eyes, sighing as he handed her over to Haley, "Here, you take her." Once Jenny was in Haley's arms, she instantly began to calm down, cooing as she stared up at Haley. Jake shook his head, mumbling, "My own daughter…" Everyone else laughed at his comment and watched as Haley held Jenny. After a few minutes, Haley thrust her hand out to him. "Jake, bottle," she requested. Jenny began to suck greedily on the bottle as soon as Haley offered it to her then once she was done, she propped the little girl against her shoulder, rubbing and patting her back gently to burp her.

"Let's go do something fun," Brooke said to the group twenty minutes later with Jenny settled back in her carrier and all of them talking in various little side conversations, "I know, let's go to The Blue Room and play some pool!" "No alcohol for you, Brooke," Haley stated firmly. "I can't take Jenny in there; it's always a little smoky," Jake replied. "We can go to my beach house. I have a pool table there. We can watch movies and stuff too," Nathan suggested. "That's a great idea, Nate! We can go swimming too! Alright guys, let's go get our bathing suits and meet at Nate's beach house in half an hour," she asked the group. They all agreed then parted ways to go get their suits, towels, and sunscreen.

Haley and Brooke went back to the apartment to change into their bathing suits and when Haley came out in her pink bikini with the purple and blue flowers, Brooke almost had to keep from drooling all over herself. She stood from the bed and wrapped her arms around Haley's shoulders, kissing her sweetly on the lips, "You look so hot in your bikini Hales." "Brooke, no. We don't have time," Haley responded, knowing where this was leading. Brooke pouted as she pulled away, "You're no fun." "Yeah I know, that's me, the big party pooper. Now get in that bathroom and change," Haley replied dryly. "Why can't I change out here," she asked coyly with a seductive smile. "You know why," Haley responded with a glare then pointed to the bathroom, "In you go!" "Fine," Brooke huffed before walking in and shutting the door behind her. When Brooke walked out wearing her red bikini, Haley's breath hitched in her throat as her eyes began to travel down Brooke's body. They took on a lustful look as they moved back up to her face and Haley moved closer to Brooke, kissing her passionately. "They can wait a few more minutes for us," Haley mumbled against her mouth.

"We're here," Brooke shouted as they entered the beach house. "Ah, so they finally show their faces," Nathan smirked when he saw their tussled hair and slightly tinted cheeks, "Looks like you two had a little quickie at home, eh?" "Yep, my little Haley's insatiable. She just can't get enough of me," Brooke patted Haley's shoulder as she winked at her. "Brooke," Haley shrieked. "More information than I needed to know," Peyton shouted as she covered her ears. "Baby in the room," Jake called out loudly. "Alright, let's get this party started. Everyone out to the beach," Brooke yelled as she ran through the house to the back doors to the porch steps leading to the sand.

Half an hour later, Haley and Peyton were relaxing in some lounge chairs watching after Jenny while Nathan and Jake played some volleyball when Brooke came up and grabbed her towel. She bent over to dry her legs, purposely sticking out her butt flirtatiously to Haley, when Peyton responded, "Brooke, move your fat ass. You're blocking my sun." "Bitch," Brooke grumbled. "Whore," Peyton replied good-naturedly. "I know you are, but what am I," Brooke responded childishly. "Oh god, please don't start," Haley groaned, "and stop with the foul language. Young ears in hearing distance." "Sorry babe," Brooke replied as she plopped her butt down right on Haley's lap, kissing her on the cheek. Haley groaned again, "Brooke, you're still wet." "All the more reason for you to come in the water with me," Brooke smirked. "No Brooke, I told you I don't want to get wet," Haley replied. "Well then…" Brooke started, a devilish gleam in her eyes as she stood and picked Haley up, carrying her towards the ocean. "Brooke! Put me down right now," Haley shrieked. "Okay," Brooke said as she dropped Haley into the water. Haley came up for air, sputtering water and wiped the hair from her face. "You are so going to get it," Haley warned as she started to swim after Brooke.

Nate, Jake! Help! Haley's going to get me," Brooke laughed giddily as she went and hid behind Nathan. He chuckled as he turned and grabbed Brooke, running over and tossing her into the ocean. Haley burst out laughing at this but stopped when Jake came racing towards her with a pail full of water. "Jake, no," she screamed. "Oh yes," he grinned as he dumped it over her head. Soon Peyton joined in and all were chasing each other, dunking each other and racing across the sand, flicking water at each other and laughing their asses off. Haley looked up from where she was about to dunk Brooke again and down along the beach by the rocks where sand met concrete, she saw Lucas standing there, the wind whipping at his clothes. He simply stared at her, standing there for several long moments before turning away and walking back down the beach.

Sunday night came around and Haley was reading a book on the couch in the living room when Brooke entered and sat beside her, curling up against her body and taking her hand into her own and entwining their fingers. Brooke kissed her temple before leaning her forehead against Haley's. "You ready for tomorrow," she asked softly. Haley inhaled a deep breath as she set her book down on the table beside the couch. "I don't know…I guess…" she responded quietly then looked up at her girlfriend, "it's going to be bad, isn't it?" "I'm not sure, Hales," Brooke replied uncertainly, "but I guess we'll find out tomorrow." "Let's go to bed," Haley stated as she got up from the couch, pulling Brooke up with her, "We're going to need our sleep because tomorrow is going to be one hell of a day." Brooke nodded in agreement as she followed Haley to their bedroom. They changed clothes and slipped under the covers, Haley cuddling back up against Brooke's chest and Brooke wrapping her arms around Haley's waist. "I love you Hales. No matter what, we'll get through this. I promise," Brooke whispered, her eyes getting heavy. "I love you too, TIgger," Haley murmured.

The next morning, Haley and Brooke woke from their slumber to the blaring alarm clock, dreading what would happen that day. They went through their normal morning routine; shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, then they got their bags ready before finally heading out the door. They drove in silence to the school, everyone's reactions heavy on their minds. When they finally parked, they sat in the car for several long minutes, just staring straight ahead. Ten more minutes later, they decided it was now or never and they slowly climbed out of the car, grabbing their bags from the back seat. The two met in front of the car and linked hands, giving each other a small smile of reassurance. Suddenly they felt a presence behind them and look back, seeing Nathan, Peyton, and Jake standing there. "Safety in numbers," Jake said with a smile. Haley and Brooke smiled at their friends, silently thanking them for their support. Then the group slowly made their way into the halls of Tree Hill High School, preparing themselves for whatever may come.


	27. Chapter 27

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! Yeah, I know, I'm back so soon! This has to be a first! Anyways, I got this chapter done pretty quick after some help from my wonderful Goldilocks. I was really torn and didn't know where I wanted this chapter to go, so I just kept adding things in. I think it turned out pretty great if I do say so myself. No, my ego is usually not this big. It's usually much smaller. This chapter is full of both angst and fluff, but you may hate me after the ending of this chapter…Anyways, I hope you like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **K+ to T

**In the Presence of An Angel **

**Chapter 27 **

As they entered the building, all talking ceased and the hall fell silent as every single pair of eyes stared at them. Both Haley and Brooke gripped each other's hands tighter as they slowly made their way down the long hallway to their lockers, holding their heads high. Haley spotted Lucas among the other students and she locked eyes with him. His expression was blank, showing no emotion either way. Haley's eyes welled with tears as she broke eye contact and turned her head away from him, burying her face into Brooke's shoulder. Brooke unlinked their hands and wrapped her arm around Haley's waist, pulling her closer to her side, and then softly stroked her hair, whispering in her ear, "It'll be okay, Hales. It'll get better." Haley nodded solemnly as they finally reached their lockers. While Haley was getting her books out, a voice spoke up beside her, "Hey Haley." Startled, Haley put a hand to her chest and turned to see who it was, "Oh Mouth, you scared me."

"Sorry," he smiled sheepishly then regained his composure and hugged her lightly, speaking softly in her ear, "I just wanted to let you know that I support you and Brooke and I'm glad that you're happy. You make Brooke happy too; I've seen it the past couple weeks and this is the happiest she's ever been. If I can't be the one, then I'm glad it's you that is making her happy." "Mouth…" Haley pulled back, tears forming in her eyes again, staring at him in understanding then hugging him again, "Thank you." "I heard that Lucas isn't taking the news too well," he said softly, not wanting to upset her more. Haley looked down at her hands, "Yeah, he's being an asshole about it. He won't even speak to me. We've been best friends almost our whole lives Mouth. Why can't he accept this?" "I don't know Haley, I don't know," Mouth slowly shook his head. He couldn't believe Lucas was acting this way. "Oh, and I just wanted to let you know that the guys are behind you too. They're around here somewhere, probably getting breakfast in the cafeteria or shooting some hoops out on the courts," Mouth replied as he gave her an encouraging smile. "Thanks Mouth," Haley responded with her own smile. "Well, I have to get to class. See you later Haley," he said as he lightly squeezed her arm in reassurance then waved as he started to walk off. "Bye," Haley waved back.

"Well, that's one more to add to the list of supporters. The rest of population Tree Hill left to go," Brooke whispered beside her. "Yeah…" she replied quietly, moving closer to her and wrapping her arms around Brooke's waist, resting her head on her shoulder. "It's about damn time," someone shouted behind them and Haley and Brooke both turned, seeing Skills, Fergie, and Junk walking up to them, "We were getting tired of all the sneaking around, the little glances and touches between you two. We're glad you two finally admitted to each other that what you had was more than friendship." "Skills, we've been dating secretly for over two months," Haley replied then chuckled softly at the guys' expressions. "Two months," Skills' jaw dropped, "Over two months and we didn't find out? I mean, we noticed the subtle signs that you two liked each other, but we didn't know you actually got together. Wait, the party and the 'I never' game…oh my god! You and Brooke had sex! She's the one you lost your virginity to, isn't she?" Haley blushed fiercely as she lowered her head, "Skills! Sh!"

"Sorry," he laughed, "you want to come down to the rivercourt later and play some basketball? We've been out one player lately. Difference of opinions." Haley smiled slightly, "Sure, meet you there around three?" "You got it," Skills replied and then he gave her a light hug, "You hang in there, okay? People will come around. If they don't, then I'll go kick their scrawny asses for you." Haley hugged him tighter, "Thanks Skills." The other guys in turn hugged her and voiced their reassurance then headed off to class. "We should probably get going too," Brooke said, squeezing her hand softly. Haley nodded and pulled her into a strong embrace. "We probably shouldn't kiss in front of everybody. They're all still digesting the news. Maybe after it's sunk in a little," Brooke whispered. Haley nuzzled her collarbone with her nose then discreetly kissed her on the neck. A shiver ran down Brooke's spine and she leaned her head down, kissing her neck too, "I love you." "Love you too," Haley responded as she pulled away. They parted and went their different directions; Haley with Nathan and Jake and Brooke with Peyton.

They met up again for lunch and as they walked to their table, Brooke asked, "So, how has your day been so far? Anybody say anything to you?" Haley shrugged, "No, not really. Like you said, they're still processing it. I got a few smiles and tight hellos but that's about it. At least that's something, right? I just hope it holds out for the rest of them. I don't like anybody hating me, and what infuriates me more is when it's someone that really doesn't know me." "Aw, how could anybody hate you? You're too cute and adorable to hate," Brooke smiled as she curled an arm around her shoulders and rubbed her arm. Haley chuckled softly, "Thanks Brooke, but I think some people will have a different opinion than you do." "Then I'll beat them up. Nobody calls my Haley uncute and unadorable. If anybody is mean to you, they have to answer to me, and they'll be in a whole world of hurt after I'm done with 'em" Brooke made a fist and punched it into her other hand. Haley laughed then took her hand into her own, "Come on Tigger, let's go sit and eat with the others." Brooke agreed then a few seconds later, Haley said in a small voice, "Brooke? Katrina and posse at 2:00." Brooke looked over to see Katrina marching up to her with an evil little smirk on her face, her groupies not far behind.

"Well, if it isn't the Queen Bitch and her little whore," Katrina said then put on an innocent face then looked to Haley with a fake smile, "You know you're temporary, right? Once she gets what she wants from you, she'll toss you like yesterday's trash. She's just experimenting with you. Brooke likes sex and she likes having it with boys. You'll be gone before you know it." Tears had risen in Haley's eyes at Katrina's words; not only were they hurtful but she was bringing up all her past insecurities again. "Aww, did I make wittle baby Haley cry? You have to know you won't last. You two are so different; you're both from different crowds. Cheerleaders and brainy little tutors don't mix. You aren't good enough for her. She's supposed to be with a basketball player, not _you_. So why don't you save yourself and get out now? I mean, I'm just trying to help you here Haley. I don't want you to get hurt when she dumps you," Katrina walked forward and tried to wrap her arm around Haley but Brooke roughly pushed her away.

By now, Brooke was livid and really seeing red, "Don't you touch her! She is not temporary, Katrina. We've been dating for two months in case you didn't know. I don't care if we're from different crowds. I love her and she loves me. But then again, you don't know what love is do you? I used to be like you, Katrina, a new guy every other night, partying after games and getting drunk. Your mom is never around and your dad is living half across the country; they don't pay any attention to you-" "Your parents are the same way, Brooke. They're never home and all they do is throw money at you," Katrina retorted. Brooke shrugged, "So my family life isn't perfect, but I found love, and all I need to be happy is Haley. I've changed, and I have Haley to thank for that." Brooke squeezed Haley's hand as she looked at her for a moment and smiled then turned back to Katrina. "Oh, and Katrina? You're off the squad until further notice. You need to clean your act and your attitude up. Don't lie to me; I've seen the track marks and the bruises. Now that we're done here, you'll have to excuse me because I'm going to go eat lunch with my girlfriend. Come on Hales." Brooke tugged on her hand and they walked over to the table where Nathan, Jake, Peyton, Skills, and Mouth all sat, leaving Katrina with her mouth hung open in shock.

Once they sat down, Haley rested her head on Brooke's shoulder and held her hand, entwining their fingers. She then looked up to her and placed a light kiss on her lips, "Thank you, for what you said. All I need to be happy is you too." "Now that was hot! Show me some more of that action baby!" a voice exclaimed, getting louder as they neared. Everyone at the table groaned, "Tim." "What," Tim asked as he sat down. "Tim, we're trying to eat here so keep your comments to yourself," Peyton said snappishly as she poked at her food with a fork. "Speak for yourself Peyt. You've hardly touched your food at all," Brooke responded. "I'm just not that hungry," she huffed as she tossed her fork back onto her plate and picked up her tray, starting to walk off, "I'll see you guys later." "Jeez, what's gotten into her," Nathan asked as he took a bite of his pizza. "Luke," Brooke responded as she gazed after her friend, "She misses him."

Later that afternoon, Peyton walked aimlessly along the streets of Tree Hill, pulling her leather jacket closer around her to block out the cold wind. Tears were falling from her eyes and her cheeks were a rosy red from the chill in the air. She spotted the playground and walked over to the swings, sitting in one and gently swaying back and forth. After several moments, she looked around her and saw the rivercourt past a grove of trees. Her throat choked up when she saw Lucas sitting on top of the picnic table, his elbows resting on his knees and his hands pressed together against his lips. He was obviously in deep thought. Peyton slowly rose from the swing and walked over, stopping a foot or two in front of him. It seemed to take him a few moments before he recognized her presence and when he did, he straightened up, whispering softly in surprise, "Peyton…"

"I-I need to talk to you…" she said quietly, crossing her arms over her chest and staring down at the ground. "Okay," Lucas replied, his brows furrowing in concern. He patted the spot next to him and she nodded then sat down beside him. "I um…" she started, tears welling in her eyes again. "What is it? What's wrong Peyt? You can tell me," Lucas asked worriedly as he lifted his hand and wiped some of her tears away with his thumb. "I um…I-I think I'm…I think I'm p-pregnant…" Peyton choked on a sob as she buried her head in her hands and started to cry. Lucas sucked in a deep breath as he placed his hand on her shoulder, "Peyton, are you sure?" "No…" she sobbed, "it's just…I'm a week late and I'm almost always on time…" "Well then let's find out. We'll go to the drugstore and pick up a test, alright," he rubbed her shoulders then took her hands and pulled her in for a hug, "Everything is going to be okay Peyt." "How Lucas? How will it all be okay," she asked, finally looking into his eyes, "In nine months our lives could be over." "I don't know, but I know it will be. Let's just find out for sure, okay," he responded as he stroked her hair and kissed her temple.

Peyton frantically paced back and forth across the floor of her bedroom as she waited for the timer to go off. Whoever developed these tests needed to decrease the wait time for the results. The long five minute wait was interminable. Lucas sat on the edge of her bed, lightly bouncing his legs in nervousness, his hands covering his face as he continually ran his hands through his hair. "For god sakes Peyton, stop pacing. You're making me dizzy and sick. I feel like I'm going to throw up," Lucas sighed exasperatedly as he once again threaded his fingers through his short blond locks. "You think you're going to throw up? You don't have to carry this baby for nine months, Lucas. You don't have to go through the morning sickness, the cravings, the swelling ankles, your stomach ballooning out like a freaking beach ball. Throwing up is the least of your problems, Lucas," Peyton yelled angrily. Suddenly, the timer beeped and Peyton glared at him for another moment before marching off into the bathroom.

She came back a few minutes later, looking so forlorn and scared, like a small child. She was a pale white and her eyes were red from crying. She slowly walked towards him and thrust out the hand holding the stick. "It's positive," she whispered, choking as another sob tore from her throat. She angrily chucked the test at him then threw herself onto the bed, grabbing a pillow and clutching it tight to her body, sobbing into it. Lucas turned slightly and slowly began to rub her back, "Peyton…" "Don't touch me," she jerked her body away from him. "Peyton, maybe we should go to the doctor. You know those home pregnancy tests aren't always accurate…" "Over ninety-nine percent effective, Lucas! That's less than a one percent chance that I couldn't be pregnant! Besides, I feel bloated and moody, I feel pregnant," she shouted. "Let's-Let's just be absolutely sure, okay," he asked softly.

She turned her face from the pillow and glared at him angrily, "You don't want this baby, do you? Or are you not sure that the baby is yours? Because it damn well is Lucas! You're the one who did this to me! You're the one who knocked me up!" She began to beat on his chest as he pulled her close to him, hugging her tight. "No Peyton, I want this baby. I just want to be totally sure that there is a baby. I know how much you want kids someday…" Lucas replied as he gently brushed aside some of her curls and took her face in his hands, making her stare into his eyes, "Do you want this baby, Peyton?" "I-I…Yeah, I do," she whispered. Lucas lowered his head and tenderly pressed his lips to hers. "Come to the hospital with me," he said after he pulled away, "We'll get a test done and then maybe they'll do an ultrasound and we'll find out how far along you are, maybe see the baby and hear its heartbeat…" He smiled at the thought then looked into Peyton's eyes. "Okay," she replied after a few moments of hesitance.

Peyton and Lucas held hands as they sat in the waiting room, waiting to be called. They had been waiting for twenty minutes now. "Peyton Sawyer," a nurse finally called. They both sighed a little in relief and stood from their seats. "Stay here," Peyton squeezed his hand, "they won't let you come back. I don't think the test will take that long anyway." He nodded silently and kissed her forehead, squeezing her hand in reassurance one more time before sitting back down in his seat. Peyton followed the nurse into an exam room and slipped up onto the table. "You're here for a pregnancy test, I see," the nurse said as she inspected her chart. "Yes," Peyton replied meekly. "Okay, first I am going to draw some blood then we'll need to get a urine sample from you," the nurse replied. "Will I be able to have an ultrasound to see the baby and hear its heartbeat," Peyton asked hopefully. "Not until the tests are back. We won't have the results for another day or two, depending on how busy the lab is. We'll call you with the results and then you can schedule an appointment to have an ultrasound, but you usually can't see the baby until the second month and even then it is really small so we recommend ultrasounds at three or four months unless you are having complications with the pregnancy," she replied. Peyton nodded, a little disappointed, "Okay." "Let me go get the supplies and then we'll get started," the nurse replied then left the room, leaving Peyton alone with her thoughts.

Once Peyton was done with the tests, she walked back out to the waiting room and Lucas stood when he saw her. "They're going to call us with the results in a day or two," she said softly. He nodded and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her temple lightly. "Come on, I'll take you home," Lucas said as he rubbed her back. "Luke, can we stay out for a little while? Just walk around town for a little bit and talk or something. I'm not really that tired," Peyton asked. He lifted their entwined hands and kissed the back of hers, "Only for a little bit. I don't want you out in this cold weather too long." She smiled at him sweetly and laid her head against his shoulder as they walked out of the hospital.

"Good morning," Haley chuckled softly as she kissed a sleeping Brooke on the lips, "wake up sleepyhead. We have to get ready for school." "Screw school. School is boring. I'd much rather stay in bed all day here with you," Brooke mumbled as she turned on her side and flung her arm over Haley's waist, pulled her close and giving her a sloppy kiss. "As much as I would love to do that, we have missed too much school to be playing hooky anytime we want. Which is like every morning, might I add," Haley giggled. "Slave driver," Brooke grumbled sleepily into her neck. "Come on Brookie, time to get up," Haley smiled as she started to lightly tickle her girlfriend. Brooke groaned squirming from her fingers and finally sitting up with a disgruntled pout on her face, "Fine, I'm up!" "You look so cute when you pout," Haley smiled as she kissed her on the nose. "I'd have to say the same for you," Brooke grinned as she pecked her back. Haley kissed her slowly, pulling slightly away only to press them back against hers again. "Stop teasing me," Brooke murmured then suddenly she carefully flipped them over on the bed so she was on top. She deepened the kiss and Haley's hands found their way into Brooke's luscious brown curls.

"Brooke, Haley! I'm hungry!" A male voice yelled as they pounded on the front door so loud they could hear it clear to the bedroom in the back of the apartment. "Nathan," Brooke asked Haley. Haley nodded, "He's taking us to breakfast this morning." Brooke chuckled, "At least he learned to knock." Haley laughed too, "Yeah." Brooke then called out, "Give us twenty more minutes, Nate, we're in the middle of something here!" "Brooke," Haley shrieked as she slapped her arm. "Well, we are," Brooke responded with a grin. "Not anymore," Haley said as she hopped up from the bed, "let's get dressed so we can go eat. I'm hungry too." "Fine," Brooke grumbled as she stood and stretched then grinned seductively at Haley, "Shower together?" "No Brooke," Haley replied sternly, "then we'll never get out of here on time." "You're no fun," Brooke pouted as she went to the closet to pick out some clothes to wear. "Did I tell you that you look cute when you pout," Haley smiled as she walked up behind her and wrapped her arms around Brooke's waist, kissing her on the cheek. "Oh, a time or two," Brooke giggled.

_'I'm bored…entertain me…' _Brooke wrote on a piece of paper then passed it to Haley. After she read it, she looked at Brooke with a raised eyebrow then turned back to the note, writing a response. When she returned the note, Brooke read it. _'Entertain you? I'm bored myself. Besides, we can't really talk or anything. The teacher is only a few feet away. You know how much of a stickler he is. We even shouldn't be doing this. You know what happened last time…' _Brooke sighed, _'Fine. Let's do something after school today or do you have to work? Café or hospital?' _Haley returned it back with her own response. _'I have to work at the café today until six. Whatever will you do without me? smiles sweetly' _Brooke laughed, _'Maybe I'll just come to the café with you and watch you while you work. Then you can give me free food and when you're on break we can meet for a quickie in the back storage room…' _Haley rolled her eyes as she read it. _'That's it! You're not coming to work with me! You're too much of a distraction. You're making me a slacker at work. Which reminds me…Can I use your car today to take to work? I forgot to put gas in mine last night. I was going to do it this morning on the way to school but then Nathan offered to take us to breakfast…So can I?' _This time it was Brooke who rolled her eyes. _'Jeez Hales, forget much? This is the second time this week! And the gas prices, they're atrocious! We need to conserve on gas, otherwise we'll have no money for SHOPPING! Gasp' _Haley closed her eyes and shook her head, laughing silently.

The bell rang and Brooke sprung from her seat, "Lunch time! Thank the lord!" The teacher frowned at her as he looked at her over the rim of his glasses. "Lunch is so much more fun and easier to learn. Put food to mouth and chew. Simple as that. Not the English language, no, it's not that simple," Brooke said. "Brooke, this is where you would insert foot into mouth," Haley interjected. Brooke grumbled something incoherent as she grabbed her bag and walked with her outside the classroom. They went to their lockers to switch books needed for their classes after lunch then made their way towards the courtyard with their lunches. "Hey guys," Haley greeted Nathan and Jake as she and Brooke sat down at the table. "Hey Hales," Nathan greeted her through a mouth full of hamburger. "Gross Nathan, chew your food. Didn't your mother teach you not to talk with your mouth full," Brooke scrunched her nose in disgust. Nathan shrugged, "Mom didn't teach me nothing. She was always away business trips so it was me and my dad. He don't care about that stuff. Wanna see something neat?" "Sure whatever," Brooke replied. Nathan smiled and stuck out his tongue, showing all the mixture of the chewed hamburger parts. "Eww, Nate! That's disgusting," Brooke shrieked as she turned her head away.

"Hey, have any of you seen Peyton," Haley asked concernedly, "I haven't seen her all day." "Me either," Brooke replied after some thought. "Ditto," Nathan responded. "Same," Jake said. "Hmm, I wonder where she could be. She's usually not one to ditch school," Haley mused. "Now that I think about it, I haven't seen Lucas either. Do you think they're together," Nathan asked. "I don't know. I don't think so. Remember, she told Lucas that she couldn't be with him if he didn't accept Haley and I being together…maybe she's just holed up in her room drawing or something. Some days she gets like that. All depressed and moody that she doesn't want to go to school. I'll go check on her when we get out," Brooke replied.

"Peyton," Brooke called out, walking into her house. That was strange. There was no music blaring from her room as it usually did when she was drawing. She walked through the house and lightly knocked on her door then opened it. She gasped at what she saw. She saw Peyton lying on her bed, with Lucas' head resting on her chest and his arm curled around her waist. They were sleeping, which she was sort of thankful for. She didn't know what to say to her friend right now. She wanted to scream and cry and yell all at the same time. Peyton had promised her it would always be hoes over bros. Now here she was, sleeping with the enemy.

"Time to go home Hales, you're done here," Karen ordered as she took the rag from Haley's hands and pushed her towards the door. "But-" Haley began to protest. "No buts Hales. You were off at six and here it is 7:30. Go home, do your homework, spend time with Brooke, do something, but go home," Karen demanded as she swatted her with the towel. Haley rolled her eyes, "Fine Karen. I'll see you tomorrow." "See you later honey," Karen smiled as she waved goodbye to Haley's retreating form. Haley walked to Brooke's car and got in then started it, pulling out of her parking space and driving back to the apartment. It was relatively quiet for only 7:30 at night but Haley guessed that people were staying in because of the cold. It was December and Christmas would be here soon. She needed to go shopping for her friends and find the perfect present for Brooke. She first needed to figure out what she wanted to get her.

Two blocks from the apartment, Haley stopped at a red light. She took the moment to ponder ideas of what to get Brooke, but came up with nothing. It was really odd, because she was a pretty good shopper when it came to buying presents for her friends. However, it was different this time. Brooke was her girlfriend. She'd never really dated or been in a relationship before, so she was hard-pressed for ideas. The light turned green and she pressed slowly on the accelerator, advancing across the intersection. Suddenly a flash of bright light blinded her from her right and the honking of a horn could be heard as she felt the impact of the other car hitting Brooke's car on the passenger side. Then everything went black…


	28. Chapter 28

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! Sorry for such a long wait again! I swear college is killing me! An essay every damn week! Jeez! Anyways, I can't wait for the four day weekend coming up! Thanksgiving! Hopefully I'll get some writing in then and I will try my hardest to get an update out sooner rather than later. I hope you all like this chapter! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **K+ to T

P.S. – I guess you guys have all heard by now…** Bethany's getting married! **She is soon to be Mrs. Bethany Galeotti by the end of the year and I wish her all the best! Congratulations Bethany!

**In the Presence of An Angel **

**Chapter 28 **

Brooke paced the floor of the apartment worriedly. Where was Haley? She should have been home shortly after six but now it was almost eight. Maybe she had stayed after to help Karen close and clean up. Yeah that was it, Brooke told herself. The phone rang and Brooke jumped to grab it, quickly answering it, "Hello?" "Brooke," someone sniffled over the line. "Peyton," she asked. "No, it's Danielle. Brooke, Haley's been in an accident…" "WHAT!" Brooke shrieked. "She-she was driving home I guess and some guy was making a left turn on a red arrow when Haley had green going straight and he hit her on the passenger side…" "How is she? How bad is it," Brooke asked, quickly beginning to panic. "She's got a concussion and her arm will be in a sling for a week or two. She's got a few minor cuts on her arms and face, but they'll heal. She lucked out Brooke. She's unconscious right now, but the doctor hopes she'll wake up soon," Danielle explained. "I'll be down there as soon as I can," Brooke said, "bye Danielle." She hung up before the other girl could say goodbye and grabbed her coat from the back of the chair. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she ran out of her apartment across the hall to Nathan's apartment, pounding on his door. "Jesus Brooke," Nathan flung open the door a few minutes later, "People are trying to sleep here!" He then saw the tears in her eyes and the streaks of mascara marking her face. "Brooke, what's wrong," he asked concernedly.

"I-It's H-Haley. She-She was in an a-accident and-and she's in the hospital. Please Nate, I-I can't drive like this. Will you take me to the hospital," Brooke sobbed as she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his torso. Nathan hugged her tight, stroking her hair softly. "She'll be alright, Brooke. Haley's strong; she'll pull through," Nathan whispered in her ear, worried about Haley. How bad was she hurt? What had happened? "I won't survive if she doesn't," Brooke cried, her voice muffled by his strong chest. "Sh…" he tried to soothe her by rubbing her back, "let me just get my keys and we can go to the hospital, alright?" Brooke nodded but still clung to him like her life depended on it. "Brooke, you have to let go, okay," he responded as he took her arms and gently pulled them from around his waist. "Sorry," Brooke replied, a little embarrassed, as she wrapped her arms around her own body as if to keep herself from falling. Nathan slipped on a pair of shoes then grabbed his keys and wallet from the counter, putting his arm around her shoulders to support her again, "Alright, let's go."

"Where is she," Brooke yelled as she raced up to the front desk. "Who are you looking for, my dear," the older woman asked. "My-my girlfriend…Haley James…she-she works here…she w-was in a car accident and she was brought here and-and…where's Danielle…I need to talk to Danielle," Brooke ranted on almost incoherently. "Danielle? Okay, I will page her. She'll be up here in a few minutes. I believe she is with a patient right now," the woman replied as she punched a few numbers on the phone. "Brooke," a voice called out a few minutes later and Brooke spun on her heel, seeing Danielle approaching. "Danielle," Brooke shrieked as she ran to her and pulled the young woman into a tight embrace, tears beginning to fall from her eyes, "How is she? Is she awake yet? Can I see her? I need to see her." Danielle shook her head sadly, "No, she's still unconscious. We had to knock her out a little bit to put in the stitches-" "Stitches," Brooke asked, her voice rising to a high pitch in fright.

"Yeah, she was bleeding in the back of her head from the concussion so the doctor had to stitch it up," Danielle replied. "Oh god…" Brooke gasped, starting to breathe more heavily as she placed a hand to her chest. Danielle took her other hand and squeezed it in reassurance, "Everything's okay Brooke, Haley's going to be alright." "Stitches are not okay, Danielle," Brooke shouted, her eyes wide and hyperventilating. "Calm down Brooke," Nathan said as he walked up beside her and rubbed her back in soothing circles. "Danielle, your patient in Intensive Care was just moved to a private room, Room 301," a passing nurse told the woman. "Intensive Care? Haley was in Intensive Care? Why didn't you tell me it was this bad!" Brooke shrieked in fright and anger. "Brooke, it's not Haley. She wasn't in Intensive Care; it's one of my other patients," Danielle replied as she rubbed her arms, "come on, I'll take you to Haley's room."

Brooke sucked in a large breath when they reached the door to Haley's room and started to tear up. "Page me when she wakes up okay," Danielle squeezed her shoulders lightly then went to go tend to her other patients. Brooke looked to Nathan, who nodded towards the door, "Go on, I'll wait out here. Give Haley my love." Brooke nodded before shakily reaching for the door handle and opening it, entering the room quietly. She gasped at the sight of her girlfriend and quickly walked over, pulling a chair to her bedside. She held Haley's good hand in her own as she studied her, taking in all her injuries. There were a few cuts and bruises on her face and her good arm and her other arm was wrapped in an ace bandage with it encased in a sling. "Oh baby…" Brooke whispered as she then began to gently kiss every cut and bruise on her face and arm then very carefully kissed her fingers on her bad arm. She squeezed Haley's hand lightly, tears falling from her eyes, "I love you Hales. Please wake up for me. I need to see those beautiful brown eyes of yours…" When Haley didn't even blink or move a muscle, Brooke buried her head into the bed, sobs wracking her body.

An hour and a half later, Brooke had cried herself out and was now just simply sitting in the chair holding Haley's hand, waiting for her to wake up. She heard a light knock on the door and turned, expecting Nathan, but when the door opened, Lucas cautiously stepped in. Brooke's face contorted in anger at the sight of him. What right did he have coming here? After what he had done to Haley? "What the hell are you doing here," Brooke asked harshly in a cold tone that told him he was not welcome. "Please Brooke, let me see her. She's my best friend…" Lucas pleaded with her. "After what you did to her? The way you treated her? I don't think so. You hurt her really bad, Lucas, and I'm going to do my best that nobody ever hurts her again, starting with you. So get out," Brooke ordered as she pointed towards the door. "No," Lucas replied stubbornly as he stood his ground. Brooke rose from her seat angrily, "Lucas, do not make me hurt you, because once I get my hands on you, Haley won't be the only one lying in a hospital bed." "I don't care. I'm going to stand here until you let me see her. Brooke, you have to understand…she's like my sister, we grew up together…and then she just springs this on me? I was shocked and confused and scared and every other emotion possible. I needed time to digest and sort things out. I have now and I've accepted that you and Haley are together, it-it just really shocked me at first. I'm ready to be friends with her again, if she'll have me," he responded, this last part quietly, as he glanced at Haley sorrowfully.

Brooke stared at him for a long time, as if she were judging his honesty. She saw the pleading look in his eyes and his tone of voice. She knew he was sincere. Brooke sighed and ran her hands through her hair, "Fine, just give me a second." She turned back towards the bed and leaned over Haley, placing a gentle kiss on her lips and whispering, "I love you" into her ear. "Brooke, come here," Lucas requested. "What," she asked. "I'm really sorry for treating you and Haley the way I did. You make her really happy and that's all I could ever ask for," he hugged her and she was stiff for a moment before she patted him on the back. "Thank you," she replied before pulling away from him, "come get me if she wakes up." He nodded in agreement then Brooke left the room and he took a seat in the chair Brooke had previously occupied. Lucas gently took her hand into his own and kissed the back of it, pressing it to his cheek.

"Hales, I am so sorry," he whispered as tears filled his eyes, "Now I know how you felt when I had my accident…I was so scared when I got that phone call from Nathan…I was scared I would never get to tell you that I'm sorry. I was confused and I didn't know how to react…I mean we have been best friends for so long and you just sprung this on me…Like I told Brooke, I've accepted that you two are together now. I just hope that we can still be friends…" He began to sob as he laid his head on the side of the bed, clutching her hand lightly within his own yet holding onto it with dear life, like he would never see her again.

Twenty five minutes later, Lucas still found himself crying into the sheets of Haley's bed. He didn't know how to stop. Everything that had happened lately was just overwhelming him; the news of Brooke and Haley, Haley's accident, Peyton and the pregnancy. His world was spinning and he didn't know how to get it all under control. Lucas heard a soft groan, "Brooke…" He quickly raised his head up as her eyes fluttered open. "Hales…" he whispered in happiness. She pulled her hand from his as a frown formed on her face. "What are you doing here," she asked hoarsely. "Hales, I am so sorry. I know you have every right to be mad at me and not want me here, but please let me explain. I-I was just shocked, okay? I mean, we've been best friends for as long as I can remember and then you come out and tell me you're into girls? I-I didn't know how to react-" "I'm not into girls, just Brooke," Haley responded as she looked away from him. "I'm sorry Hales. I miss you. I know I was an ass to you but can you please try to forgive me? I need my best friend back, I need you in my life," tears started to stream down his cheeks again as he tentatively reached for her hand. Haley's bottom lip trembled as tears of her own began to fall and she gently laid her hand in his. Lucas grasped it then stood and leaned over her, carefully wrapping his arms around her and hugging her. "I missed you so much…" he kissed her forehead after a few minutes of holding her in his arms. "I missed you too," she cried into his chest as she curled her good arm around his torso.

They stayed like that for a few more minutes before Lucas pulled away, smoothing the hair away from her face and kissing her forehead again, "I'm going to go get Brooke. She's been beside herself with worry about you." Haley nodded as she uttered a soft, "Thanks." Lucas smiled and squeezed her hand one more time before leaving the room and walking down the hallway to the waiting room. Everyone looked up when he entered and he gazed at Brooke, "She's awake." Brooke immediately stood and shouted, "Move!" as she started to run down the hallway to Haley's hospital room. "Hales, oh baby, I'm so glad you're awake…I missed you so much…you scared me to death when I got the phone call. Danielle called and told me you'd been in a car accident…I was so scared…" Brooke ran to her and tightly yet carefully hugged her so as not to further injure her sprained arm. She kissed Haley all over her face then finally her lips and Haley pressed in deeper as she wrapped her good arm around her back and ran her hand up and down in soft strokes. "Sh…I'm alright…everything's okay…stop crying sweetie…" Haley whispered between kisses. "I thought I almost lost you…" Brooke choked on a sob as she buried her face in Haley's chest. Haley hugged her tighter as she remembered all those times she had been so scared that she had almost lost Brooke too.

Then Haley remembered something and her eyes widened as she pulled away and tears began to fall again, "Brooke, I'm so sorry! Your car! It's probably totally wrecked. I'm so sorry! That car was your baby…" Brooke cupped her cheek in her hand and stroked it softly with her thumb, "Hales, it's okay. I'm just glad you're alright and that car isn't my baby anymore, you are. I would die if anything happened to you; the car I can live with, but not you." More tears began to cascade down her cheeks as she hugged Brooke again and kissed her tenderly on the lips, "I love you." Brooke stroked her cheek as she stared into her deep brown doe eyes, "I love you so much Hales. I can't imagine my life without you." Haley placed her hand behind Brooke's head and pulled her down to her lips for a passionate kiss.

They were interrupted by a light knock on the door and Nathan popped his head in, "Hey, how are you feeling?" "Like I got hit by a car," Haley chuckled. Brooke's eyes widened at this information and she stood up, "Are you in any pain? The doctors were supposed to give you something for the pain." Haley patted her hand, "I'm okay Brooke, calm down. They got me all doped up on painkillers so no need to worry. I'll be fine in no time." "That's great Hales. So you'll be down at the rivercourt for a game this weekend, right," Nathan replied with a grin. "I don't think so," Brooke responded sternly, "Haley needs to rest and recuperate." Haley lightly poked Brooke in the side with a little laugh, "Look who changed places, Ms. Nurse Nazi." "Hey, I just want to make sure you take enough time to recover and not rush yourself. I don't want you gallivanting around town when you should be resting," Brooke responded. Haley lightly nudged her in the side, "No Brooke, that's more your style." Brooke's eyes and mouth widened as she slapped her on the arm, "Hey!" "Ow," Haley yelped. Brooke gasped as her hands flew to cover her mouth, "Oh my god, Hales, I'm so sorry!" "Nice Brooke, injure her even more why don't you. We need that arm down at the rivercourt."

Haley laughed then pointed to her arm in the sling, "Looks like I won't be playing basketball for awhile." "You can dribble and shoot with one arm," Nathan countered. "True," Haley amended with a nod, "I bet I could still beat both yours and Lucas' asses with one arm too." "Nah, I don't think so," Nathan grinned, "but we'll see. When you get out of this joint, we're going to see who's best. Oh, I almost forgot! Jake wanted to see you before he left if you woke up. He has to take Jenny home because she's getting cranky and tired. I'll go get him, be right back." A few seconds later, a nurse popped her head in, "Visiting hours are almost over Ms. James. You've got fifteen more minutes then everybody has to leave so you can rest." "Thanks Stacey," Haley nodded then turned to Brooke, "Will you please go get everyone? I want to say goodbye to them." "Sure," she responded as she stood from her chair, "Do you want anything from the cafeteria before I go or are you restricted to all things inedible?" "I'm fine. I'd rather have you here in bed with me though. It's going to be hard not having you lying beside me. Oh wait, there's nobody to hog the covers and nobody to keep me awake from their loud snoring," Haley laughed as she glared at Brooke. "Hey, I do not snore," Brooke protested, lightly slapping her on the leg.

"Ah, another old married lover's quarrel I see," Jake grinned as he entered with a squirming Jenny in his arms. The baby began to whimper and cry, reaching out to Haley as soon as her eyes landed on the older girl. "No sweetie, Haley can't hold you right now; she's hurt," Jake gently bounced and rocked the baby to try and calm her. "Give her to me, Jake," Haley ordered as she gestured him to bring Jenny near. "But your arm…" Jake looked at her concernedly. "It's okay, you can just lay her here on the bed in the crook of my arm. I promise I won't drop her," Haley smiled. "I know," Jake replied, "I just don't want her to hurt you if she touches your sprained arm or something."  
"She won't," Haley responded, "now hand her over Jagielski." As Jake laid his daughter beside Haley, everyone else including Nathan, Lucas, and Peyton walked in. Brooke glared at Peyton for a moment before turning her attention back to Haley. Even though Lucas had made up with Haley, she was still mad that Peyton had broken her promise.

Immediately, the fussy baby began to calm down once she was near Haley and started to coo and giggle as Haley played with her fingers and tickled her toes. Jake along with some of the others laughed at Jenny's antics and how much she adored Haley. Soon the little girl became tired and drifted off to sleep. Haley was gently rocking her when the doctor entered her room, "Alright everyone, I'm sorry but visiting hours are over. Miss James needs her rest." There was a collective groan as they stood from their chairs but Brooke stayed put. The doctor then spotted Peyton and recognized her, "Miss Sawyer, you're a friend of Ms. James? What a small world! In fact, I was just about to call you when I went on my break. We got your test results back from the lab. Since you're here, let me go get your file." He strode out of the room and at once all eyes were on her. She shifted uncomfortably as Brooke stood with fear in her eyes, the anger at her friend forgotten, "Results? Tests? Peyton, is something… w-wrong?" She stumbled on that last word then bit her bottom lip, hoping it wasn't true.

Peyton glanced up at Lucas, her eyes beginning to water, and he took her hand into his own them wrapped his free arm around her, holding her tight. "Tell me right now what's going on P. Sawyer," Brooke demanded as she neared them. It was then the doctor walked in with a manila folder in his hand, "Let's see here Miss Sawyer, it looks like both the tests came out negative. Your blood pressure is a little high but everything else is normal; thyroid, triglycerides, cholesterol. You are a little on the thin side for your height, but it's nothing to worry about. Do you have any questions?" Peyton shook her head no, too full of emotion to speak. "Well then, I have to go check on a few more patients before the end of my shift. Ms. James, get some rest," he glanced pointedly at the others to let them know they needed to leave then turned back to Haley, "the nurse will come check on you in about an hour. If you need anything, just press the call button okay?" Haley nodded, too preoccupied with what was going on with Peyton.

Once the doctor left, Peyton's knees went weak but Lucas held her up as she choked on a sob and buried her face in his chest. All of them stared at Lucas with worried and confused expressions while he tried to comfort his girlfriend by rubbing her back and stroking her hair. "Later," he mouthed to them as he picked her up and walked outside of the hospital room, placing her on a padded bench just outside. He sat next to her and caressed her face with his hand. "Peyton…" he said softly, at a loss for words of what to say. She began to cry harder as she looked up at him with tears streaming down her cheeks and he saw the vulnerability, the desire, in her eyes but it was a different kind of desire than one would think. "You really wanted this baby didn't you," he asked in barely a whisper as he stroked her cheek with his thumb. She nodded as she shut her eyes tightly and lowered her head, her body trembling with more sobs.

After a few minutes, when she regained her breath, she placed her hands on her flat abdomen, "A-At first, when I realized that I was late, I was so scared and didn't know what I was going to do…then I got used to the idea of being pregnant and having a baby and I really wanted to have the baby but now we found out that I'm not pregnant and I feel so empty…I feel like I lost it…" Peyton wrapped her arms around her stomach as if holding the unborn child that she once thought was inside her. "Oh Peyton…" Lucas replied as he hugged her tight and tears of his own welled in his eyes and he kissed her forehead. He, like Peyton, had been scared at first at the thought of being a father when he was only eighteen years old but had warmed up to it after awhile. He remembered the time when he had told Haley he wanted to marry Peyton, that she was the one person who he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He loved her so much and even more so now; he wanted to marry her and have kids with her someday. True, a baby now was sooner than expected or planned, but he wouldn't change anything for the world. He was brought out of his thoughts by Peyton pressing her mouth softly to his, "I'm sorry." "You have nothing to be sorry for sweetie," he replied as he rubbed her back, "I just wish things could be different. I know how you wanted that baby so much…and I did too…" She nodded as she buried her head in his chest again.

"I wonder what's going on with Peyton," Jake asked worriedly, his forehead wrinkled in concern, "is she sick? I mean, lab tests and stuff, that's serious." "I know, but the doctor said the tests were negative so that's got to be something good, right?" "Not always," Haley replied as she shifted in the bed, yawning. "Haley's tired guys. Why don't you all go home and get some sleep. You can come back in the morning," Brooke said as she stood from her chair and fluffed Haley's pillow a little before placing it back behind her head. "Brooke, you need a ride," Nathan inquired. "Nah, I'm going to stay here tonight. I don't care what that doctor says, I'm not leaving my Hales," Brooke replied as she sat on the side of the bed and took Haley's hand into her own. "Alright, see you later. Get better fast Hales, we need you on that court," Nathan grinned. "As soon as the Nurse Nazi lets me," Haley smiled at first Nathan then Brooke. "Which probably won't be for a good two or three weeks," Brooke responded, "You'll have that arm in a sling for a week and you have to allow time for it to heal, you don't want to sprain it again worse, break a bone." "Breaking bones? Oh, please…try having a boy for a best friend while growing up," Haley replied with a flick of her wrist.

Lucas stepped back into the room and their laughter silenced as all eyes turned to him. "Hey guys, I am going to take Peyton home. She's pretty exhausted. Hales…" he walked over to the bed and leaned down to carefully hug her, "I'm glad you're okay. Get some rest and I'll see you tomorrow. Are they going to kick you out of this place tomorrow?" "Hopefully," Haley replied. "See you tomorrow Haley," Jake replied as he leaned down to pick up his daughter, "Thanks for getting Jenny to sleep. Hopefully she'll stay that way the car ride home." "Hales, check ya later," Nathan winked as he clicked his tongue and pointed his fingers at her. Haley laughed, "Bye Nate, bye guys." The boys waved as they all filed out of her hospital room, finally leaving her alone with Brooke.

There was silence for a few minutes as Brooke busied herself with closing the curtains on the windows and fluffing more of Haley's pillows while Haley picked at the blanket covering her. "So, scary day, huh," Haley said quietly, "first me then Peyton." Brooke sighed as she walked over and sat on the side of the bed, entwining her fingers with Haley's, "Yeah." "Are you okay? How are you handling all this," Haley asked quietly, gently squeezing her hand, "How's your heart? I know I must have given you a pretty good scare when Danielle called about the accident." "A little shaken up but nothing a night with you can't cure," Brooke offered a small smile. Haley scooted over a little and patted the vacant space beside her, "Come here." Brooke laid down and rested her head on Haley's shoulder and curled her arm around Haley's waist, pulling her close. Brooke looked up at Haley, who was fast falling asleep, and softly brushed her lips against Haley's in a tender kiss, "I love you Haley James. I don't know what I'd do without you in my life." Haley smiled as she leaned her head down and kissed her back then rested her forehead against Brooke's, "Ditto Brooke Davis."

**Next on One Tree Hill… **

_It's the beginning of a new season with fall's once colorful leaves being covered by the first snow of the winter. Thanksgiving is fast approaching and Christmas is just around the corner. Magic and love is in the air and this year, someone will receive a ring… _


	29. Chapter 29

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! Long time no see! Sorry it's taken me forever to get this chapter out. I was going to put Thanksgiving and Christmas together in one chapter but it turned about to be too long (it would have been about 25 pages typed) so I split it into two chapters. I haven't finished the Christmas chap yet but I'm getting there so it will be posted sooner. Lots of laughs in this chapter guys. Hope you all like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating:** K+ to T

**In the Presence of An Angel**

**Chapter 29**

Brooke groaned as she tossed another can into the shopping cart, "Tell me again how we got roped into cooking Thanksgiving dinner for everybody?" "Well, the guys won't do it because one, they can't cook and two, they'll all be sprawled out in front of the television watching football all day. As for us girls, Peyton can't cook and you, you're my little helper," Haley smiled as she lightly tapped her on the nose with her finger. Brooke smiled in return as she leaned in and softly pecked her on the lips. "Okay, what's next on the list of what we need," she asked when she pulled away. "Um, we need to get stuff for the stuffing," Haley responded after she had looked at the piece of paper in her pocket. "Oh, that's easy. Just grab a couple boxes of Stove Top and we're set," Brooke replied. "Brooke Davis," Haley's eyes widened in shock, "I am not going to make something from a box! Everything is going to be homemade. The stuffing, the cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, pies, everything. Now, I may have never made a whole Thanksgiving dinner before, but we're going to do it the right way and that's making everything from scratch." "Oh god, we'll be cooking for days," Brooke groaned, "and how are we going to cook everything in our small little kitchen?"

"We'll just have to make do," Haley responded as she picked out some bottles of spices and seasonings from the shelf and placed them in the cart, "We can always put up a big picnic table out on the patio so all of us can sit together." "Yeah, okay," Brooke mumbled distractedly as she slowly picked up a can of peaches and held it in her hand, staring at it. "Brooke," Haley questioned, "What's wrong?" "Peaches," Brooke continued to mumble to herself as she became ensconced in a memory, "I used to call her Peaches." "Who," Haley inquired, "Brooke, what are you talking about?" Brooke sighed as she placed the can back on the shelf, her hand lingering there for a few seconds before she let it drop to her side, "Peyton. It was my nickname for her when we were younger… What do you think is going on with her Hales? I mean it's been almost a month and neither her nor Lucas have said anything. She's different. She hardly talks anymore and she always looks so sad. She listens to depressing music all the time, well that's nothing new, but she's just different. Do you think it has something to do with those test results? Do you think she could be sick," Brooke asked as she tried to swallow past the hard lump in her throat, fear in her eyes. "I don't know sweetie," Haley responded as she rubbed her back then wrapped her arms around Brooke's neck, hugging her tight.

Haley knocked lightly on the open bedroom door and walked in as Peyton looked up from her sketchbook. "Hey there," Haley greeted her with a soft smile, "Haven't seen much of you around lately. Thought I'd stop by and see how you're doing." "I'm fine. Just haven't really felt like going out so I've just been staying in and drawing. Mostly keeping to myself," Peyton responded almost emotionlessly as she closed the sketchbook and set it beside her, folding her arms and placing them on her knees. Haley sat on the edge of the bed as she gazed at her concernedly and said in a soft voice as she took her hand into her own, "Peyton, what's going on? We're all so worried about you, especially Brooke…She called you Peaches yesterday…" Peyton looked up at her as she pulled her hand away and sucked in a deep breath, "She did?" Haley nodded, "We were shopping for the Thanksgiving dinner party and when we were in one of the aisles, she picked up a can of peaches and said that she used to call you that." This time it was Peyton's turn to nod as tears began to well in her eyes, "After my mom died, I always wore her perfume so I would never forget her smell, you know? Then when I met Brooke, she said I always smelled like peaches so that was the first nickname she ever gave me."

"That's nice," Haley replied with an encouraging smile, trying to cheer her up. Peyton only began to cry harder as the tears began to fall down her cheeks, "It's so hard you know? I keep trying to remember her but sometimes I just can't…I've forgotten how she smells. They don't sell that perfume anymore. I try to remember the way she looked or some of the things we used to do together, but I was so young then…I don't want to forget my mom, Hales. She's the only real family I have left that's close to me…Sometimes I wonder what she would think of me if she were alive now…" "I bet she is so proud of you Peyton," Haley murmured in her ear as she wrapped her arms around her friend and stroked her hair. Peyton choked on a sob as she pulled away slightly but still within Haley's embrace, "R-Really? You-You think so?" "I know so," Haley smiled as she wiped her tears away with her thumbs.

"Thanks Hales," Peyton sniffled as she toyed with her hands in her lap. Haley reached over Peyton to grab a tissue box from her nightstand when in the process of doing so, she knocked Peyton's sketchpad to the floor. The book fell open to one of her latest drawings. Haley leaned down and picked it up slowly, staring at it as she rose back to her sitting position. It was one of her old drawings redone, the one with the stoplight that said 'People always leave'. Only now, it said 'Mom? Dad? Baby?' A baby carrier sat in the middle of the street that the stoplight hung over, but there was nothing in it. Haley sucked in a deep breath as she stared up at her friend with confusion in her eyes, "Baby? Peyton, were you pregnant?" Peyton shook her head as she choked on another sob and brought a hand up to her mouth.

"N-No…For-For a few days I thought I was because I was late and I told Lucas…then I took a test and it was positive…but Lucas said we should be absolutely sure so we went to the hospital to do a pregnancy test there and…um, as you heard, they were negative… I wanted that baby so much Hales… I mean, I know we're young, but I just- I felt something inside me, you know? And now I just feel so empty…that feeling is gone and I want it back more than anything…" Peyton wrapped her arms around her stomach and buried her face in Haley's neck as she sobbed quietly. "Oh Peyton," Haley murmured as she rubbed her friend's back in soothing circles, trying to calm her down.

Haley dabbed at her eyes with a tissue as she made her way up the stairs to her apartment, making sure they were dry so as not to alert Brooke that she had been crying. She couldn't let Brooke find out; she'd promised Peyton she'd keep it a secret until she was ready to tell everyone. Haley entered the apartment and Brooke looked up from where she was curled up on the couch, boredly flipping through channels with the remote. "Hey you," Brooke smiled as she turned the television off and set the remote back on the coffee table, "Where you been?" "Oh, just out walking around. It was nice out so I thought I'd go walk for a little while. I stopped by the house to grab the mail and stuff," Haley replied. Brooke looked at her more closely as she stood and neared her girlfriend, "Hales, have you been crying?" "My parents called…" Haley lied, looking down at her hands to avoid Brooke's gaze, "they left a message on the answering machine…"

She knew if she looked into Brooke's eyes she would crack and tell Brooke everything about Peyton. Brooke tensed up at the mention of Haley's parents, "W-What did they have to say?" Neither of them had told their parents that they were together yet because they were never home and apparently didn't care about their children anyway. Maybe they had discovered that Haley had moved out. "They just wanted to tell me that they're not coming home for Thanksgiving, again. It's nothing new; I haven't had Thanksgiving with my parents since…I can't even remember. I must have been really little. It just hurts, you know? How can someone not care about their child," Haley asked her as she sniffled into her tissue.

"Aww, come here baby," Brooke opened her arms and wrapped them around her girlfriend, rubbing her back. "You always have me," Brooke murmured in her ear as she hugged Haley tighter and stroked her hair, nuzzling her cheek and kissing her neck softly. Haley hugged her tighter as she closed her eyes and breathed her in, getting lost in her familiar smell. They stood there for several minutes just holding each other before Haley finally pulled away. "Thanks," she said softly. "No need for thanks," Brooke took both hands into her own, gently squeezing them, "Come on." Brooke led her to the couch and laid down first, getting comfortable and making some space for Haley. Brooke held out her arms and Haley carefully laid down on top of her, resting her head on Brooke's chest. Brooke kissed the top of Haley's head and gently stroked her hair, running her hands down her back in soothing motions. Haley wrapped her arms around Brooke as she sighed contentedly, "I love you, Tigger." "I love you too baby," Brooke whispered, seeing that Haley was fast falling asleep as she continued to just lay there and hold her girlfriend close.

The next morning Brooke woke to a delicious aroma drifting into the bedroom from the kitchen. She smiled and threw on a robe before venturing out into the kitchen where she found Haley cooking breakfast. When Haley spotted her she smiled, "Morning there sleepy head! Thought I was going to have to call the coroner to get you out of there. Almost took you for dead you slept so long." "What are you talking about," Brooke yawned as she ran a hand through her hair, "it's still early." "I hate to break it to you sweetie," Haley smirked, "but it's almost eleven and that my dear, is very late. I've been awake since six cooking up a storm. By the way, Happy Thanksgiving." Haley kissed her on the cheek then went back to the stove to make sure the food wouldn't burn. "Oh damn it! Why didn't you wake me up? I would have helped you cook," Brooke replied. "Please Brooke, I would like to have our apartment still standing tonight when we have everyone over. Need I remind you of the egg incident last week? We almost had to call the fire department," Haley chuckled. "Hey, how was I supposed to know that you couldn't put Tabasco sauce on the eggs while they were cooking," Brooke shrugged. "Brooke, Tabasco sauce is spicy! Spicy and fire do not mix well together! They're like combustible substances when they get together, as you witnessed when the eggs blew up all over the kitchen," Haley laughed as she turned off the stove and got out two plates from the cupboard.

"I'm sorry," Brooke pouted, "I will never cook again. Now what's for breakfast?" Brooke walked up behind Haley and wrapped her arms around her waist, resting her chin on her shoulder as Haley placed the food onto the plates. "Ooh! Hot cakes and sausage," she exclaimed then smirked seductively as she lightly swatted her butt, "but I've got my hot cakes right here! Now what about the sausage? Hmm, maybe we could have a threesome, maybe a little syrup…" "Brooke," Haley slapped her on the arm, laughing, "You're getting to be more like Nathan every day, and I bet Jake would love that threesome. I mean, you know how he's always asking. Hey, maybe that's what we'll do for him for Christmas!"

"Hales," Brooke exclaimed loudly, shocked at her words with her mouth hung open in laughter. "Eat," Haley ordered as she leaned over to check on the turkey in the oven. "I'm hungry, but my appetite has changed…I'm hungry for something else…" Brooke said seductively as she wiggled her eyebrows. She walked over to Haley and gently grabbed her shoulders, turning her around so that she was facing her. Brooke kissed her passionately on the lips and Haley returned with equal fervor as it grew more intense. Haley's hands moved to Brooke's waist, untying the belt on her robe then sliding her hands under her shirt when it was free, caressing her soft skin. Brooke moaned as her hands found their way to Haley's butt, lifting her up and placing her on the countertop, their lips never leaving each other's. Haley kissed along the crown of her forehead as her fingers ran through Brooke's hair then laced together at her back, pulling her closer. Brooke's hands slid under Haley's shirt, touching her stomach softly and encircling them around her back, tracing circles on her soft skin. This time Haley moaned and started a trail of kisses down her neck as Brooke began to push Haley's shirt up to remove it from her body...

Then the phone rang. Brooke groaned as she buried her face in Haley's chest, "Damn." "Impeccable timing," Haley muttered. Brooke helped Haley down then went to grab the phone, answering in a grouchy voice, "This better be good. Haley and I were just in the middle of something." "Oh, well then, go back to what you were doing and put the phone near you. I'll wait until you're done," the voice said. "Nathan," Brooke shrieked. "The one and only," he grinned. "Hey Nate," Haley called out so he could hear her through the phone. "So, why are you calling us when you live just across the hallway," Brooke asked. "I'm not at my apartment right now. I was just calling to ask you and Haley about Thanksgiving dinner tonight," he replied.

"Yeah," Brooke questioned skeptically, wondering what he needed to ask. "I know it's supposed to be us six, but could I um, could I bring someone? You know, I don't want to feel left out since it'll be all couples there," Nathan asked a little nervously. "Jake's coming solo tonight," Haley pointed out. "You want to bring someone," Brooke inquired, raising an eyebrow at Haley. "Who's he bringing, his blow-up doll," Haley asked, laughing at her own joke. "Ha ha, very funny. Tell her I heard that," Nathan replied sarcastically, "But no. I wanted to um, bringmygirlfriend." Nathan mumbled this last part quickly, the words jumbled together. "You want to bring your girlfriend? I didn't even know you had a girlfriend. Hold on," she covered the mouthpiece of the phone and turned to Haley, "Did you know Nathan had a girlfriend?" Haley shook her head, "Who is it?" Brooke went back to the phone but now put it on speaker, "Who is this new girlfriend of yours Nate, do we know her?" Nathan chuckled, "Yeah, I'm pretty sure you do, since she's on your cheerleading squad." "Oh god Nathan, please tell me it is not Bevin! I know she likes you and all but-" "God no Brooke, I would never date her! She's like the female version of Tim!" Brooke giggled then sighed, "Good, that makes me feel a little bit better. Now who is it?"

"It's Teresa," he answered. "Teresa? Teresa Chambers? Wow, I never thought of you two as a couple," Brooke responded, shocked. "She's different than you think Brooke. She's more than just what meets the eye. She's nice and caring and she's really great Brooke. Just give her a chance, okay?" "She's right there with you isn't she," Brooke inquired with a smile. "No, she's not, and be nice at dinner tonight. She's my girlfriend now; I don't want you scaring her off," Nathan replied. "Fine," Brooke sighed then perked up, "hey, if she can handle me as her cheer captain, she can handle me as an overprotective best friend, right? I'm happy for you Nate. I'm glad you found someone." "Me too," Haley added from where she was eating some of Brooke's pancakes. "Hey, those are my hot cakes," Brooke shrieked. "Yup, I'm all yours, and you can have me later…after you get off the phone," Haley grinned cheekily. "Alright, going now," Nathan said, "see you guys tonight." "Bye Nate," they replied in unison before Brooke hung up the phone. "Now where were we…" Brooke grinned as she neared her girlfriend, a sultry pout upon her face.

As Lucas and Peyton reached the door to Haley and Brooke's apartment, he rubbed her shoulder with the arm wrapped around her back, lightly kissing her temple, "Try to be happy tonight, okay? I know it's still fresh, but it's just going to take some time…" Peyton nodded silently as she stared down at her hands and Lucas rang the doorbell. "I'll get it," they heard Brooke scream from inside. The door flung open a few seconds later, greeted by a bubbly Brooke. "Hey guys," she smiled big then called out to Haley, "Hales, it's the Broodyloons!" "What," Lucas questioned with a raised eyebrow. Haley laughed as she entered the living room, "Sorry, she cut into the eggnog a little early." "Is she drunk," Peyton asked with an amused smile. "Not yet," Brooke giggled then wrapped her arms around Peyton, hugging her tight, "P. Sawyer! I've missed you sooo much! Where have you been my Goldilocks?" Peyton laughed as she patted her friend on the back, "I've been around, mostly in my room listening to music and drawing, like usual." "Come on Sawyer! Let's get this party started," Brooke exclaimed as she grabbed Peyton's hand and pulled her towards the living room, turning on the stereo to an upbeat song. They began to dance as Haley and Lucas watched on, laughing.

After a few minutes, Haley turned to Lucas and whispered quietly so Brooke couldn't hear, not that she would have anyway with the music blaring loud through the speakers, and lightly rubbed his arm, "Peyton told me what was going on…I'm sorry. How are you holding up?" "It's hard. We wanted the baby but I don't think we were ready for it. I mean, I want to finish school first, get married then have kids. It's both good and bad, but I think of it more as a godsend really. We aren't ready to be parents yet, we're still just kids." Haley nodded in both understanding and agreement then replied, "I need to go check on the food. Why don't you sit back and relax. Do you want something to drink?" "I'll come with you," he replied with a smile, "I better get away while I can so they won't rope me into dancing with them." "Why not? You get two hot girls to dance with you," Haley smirked. "I'd rather spend some time with my best friend," he grinned as he curled his arm around her shoulders, "I missed you Hales. We need to hang out more. We've both been so caught up with our lives that we haven't made time to spend with each other. When was the last time we went to the movies or played golf up on the roof of the café?" "Yeah, we haven't done any of that in a long time…" Haley replied softly.

"Knock, knock," Jake said as he opened the door with Jenny in her carrier. "Jake, hey," Brooke waved, "come on in! Dance with us!" "Uh…no thanks. I have to go feed Jenny a bottle," he replied as he quickly walked to the kitchen where he found Lucas and Haley. "Hey guys," Jake greeted them as he bumped hands with Luke and gave Haley a light squeeze around the waist. "Happy Thanksgiving," Haley squeezed him back then took Jenny's carrier from him, placing it on one of the chairs and unbuckling the small child, resting Jenny on her hip, "Well look at you, cutie pie! You're getting so big! You'll be walking and talking before you know it." "She's growing up so fast," Jake smiled, "I can't believe she's almost a year old, another couple of months." "Can she walk yet? What words has she learned," Haley asked interestedly. "She can pull herself up but whenever she tries to take a step she falls flat on her cute little bottom," Jake touched the tip of his daughter's nose, causing her to giggle, "She can say a few words too. She knows dadda, baba for bottle, doggy for her toy she always sleeps with. She's still learning." He ran his hand over Jenny's light brown curls as she sucked her thumb and rested her head against Haley's shoulder. "Hey, Jenny. Who is this?" Jake pointed to Haley. "Hawey," she exclaimed with a smile after a few seconds of thought. "That's right, it's Haley," Jake grinned. "Aww Jenny, you said my name," Haley cooed as she hugged the girl closer to her then called out, "Brooke! Come here!"

"What," Brooke inquired, laughing, as she and Peyton entered the kitchen. "Watch this," Haley replied then turned to the little girl in her arms, "Jenny, who am I?" "Hawey," Jenny giggled, playing with Haley's curls. "Oh my god! She said your name," Brooke shrieked then calmed her tone, "What's my name, Jenny?" "Book," she replied, bouncing in Haley's arms at being the center of all the attention. Everyone burst out laughing at Jenny's pronunciation of Brooke's name. "Aww, that's so cute," Haley smiled at the little girl then pointed to Lucas, "Who's that?" "Unkie Wuke," Jenny giggled. Another round of laughter filled the kitchen. "Hey, Jenny, who's this? You remember her," Jake asked, pointing to Peyton. "Pey Pey," the little girl exclaimed, reaching out to her. Haley walked over to Peyton and laid Jenny in her arms. Haley kissed the child's forehead then whispered in Peyton's ear as she rubbed her back, "There's still a baby in the family that needs you." Peyton looked up at Haley, tears forming in her eyes as she gave her a small smile and nodded, hugging Haley with one arm and uttering a soft, "Thanks."

Nathan held hands with Teresa as they entered the apartment. "Nate, shouldn't we have knocked," Teresa asked quietly, feeling a little nervous, "Won't they get mad?" She had never been to Brooke's house or the apartment before, only seeing her at school and cheer practice, and she had never really hung out with this crowd before, only Brooke and the other cheerleaders, so she was feeling a little unsettled about meeting everyone. "Nah, they won't mind. It looks like we're the first ones here. I don't hear anybody else. If any luck, they're probably-" "Brooke, get out of the whipped cream! That's for dessert," they heard Haley shriek. "...Fooling around," Nathan finished. "Does that mean I get you for dessert," Brooke inquired with a seductive smirk on her face. "Brooke," Haley exclaimed, slapping her shoulder. Groans could be heard throughout the apartment. "Not again," Peyton rolled her eyes. "Hello, baby in the room," Jakes said, gesturing to Jenny, who was now back in Haley's arms again. "Stop with the sex talk," Lucas exclaimed, covering his ears, "I don't want to hear about my best friend having sex!" "Do you two ever stop," Nathan smirked as he and Teresa walked into the kitchen.

"Nathan, hey," Haley smiled as she hugged him with one arm, "glad you could come." "Late as usual Nate," Brooke grinned as she hugged him as well, "but what's a party without Nathan Scott, eh?" "What's a party without Brooke Davis," Nathan countered with a smirk. "True, so very true. I'm the life of the party. I keep these things going," Brooke chuckled. "So, if you're the life of the party, where's the booze," Nathan asked. "Now Nate, you know I don't drink anymore. I gave it up because of my heart condition. But you're welcome to try the eggnog," Brooke winked at him. "Oh please Brooke, I know you still drink once in a while. Maybe that should be one of your New Year's resolutions," Haley replied as she checked on the turkey and stuffing in the oven. "What, drink more alcohol," Brooke grinned cheekily. "No," Haley glared at her good-naturedly, "stop drinking altogether." "But Hales, then I'll die of thirst and dehydration," Brooke gasped in fake shock. "Not all liquids weirdo, just alcohol," Haley rolled her eyes, laughing as she stuck out her hand towards Teresa, "Hi, I'm Haley. Nice to meet you." Teresa smiled as she took her hand, "Teresa. Nice to meet you too. Thanks for having me over."

"Oh it's no problem. Besides, it's not often Nathan brings a girl home to meet the family," Haley winked. "Hales," Nathan responded with an embarrassed chuckle, "stop." "Excuse me? Is Nathan Scott blushing," Brooke laughed. Nathan's cheeks reddened even more as a small smile played on his lips. "Alright everyone," Haley clapped to get their attention, "the turkey is done! You all go take your seats at the table. Lucas, will you do the honors of cutting the bird?" "Sure Hales," he responded as he stood from his chair. "Finally! That turkey has been in the oven all day. You'd think it'd be burnt to a crisp by now," Brooke exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. "No Brooke, that's just anything you cook," Haley smirked as she grabbed some oven mitts to pull out the turkey. "Not true," Brooke replied indignantly as she placed her hands on her hips, "You love my hot cakes." "Pancakes, Brooke," Haley reiterated, "they're called pancakes, not hot cakes." "Potato, potato; tomato, tomato," Brooke responded nonchalantly, pronouncing them each differently. "It doesn't exactly work that way with pancakes Brooke," Haley chuckled. "Whatever, just get that bird on the table. I'm starving," Brooke exclaimed with a flick of her wrist. "No wonder you've been getting harder to carry," Haley muttered under her breath. "Hey, I heard that," Brooke gave her a mock glare as she placed the cranberry sauce on the table. Haley chuckled as she stuck her tongue out at her girlfriend.

"Come on children, be nice now," Nathan laughed as he, along with Teresa, brought more food to the table. Brooke stuck out her tongue to Nathan in response. "Very mature Brooke," Haley replied with a grin. Brooke pointed a finger at her in protest, "You just did the same thing!" "I'm younger than you so I'm allowed to be immature," Haley giggled. "Not true," Brooke replied, "You're older than me and you never let me forget it!" "Are they always like this," Teresa whispered to Nathan as she linked her arm through his. "Yeah," Nathan chuckled as he watched the couple continue to bicker, "but sometimes it can be much worse." "You can't always kiss your way out of everything," Brooke responded after accepting a soft peck on the lips from her girlfriend in apology. "Sure I can, it works like a charm," Haley smirked as she kissed the tip of Brooke's nose, "I know you can't resist me." "That's for damn sure," Brooke whispered huskily under her breath as she pulled Haley close and wrapped her arms around her waist, nuzzling her neck. "Alright, move away from each other! We don't want you two doing it right here on the table where we're about to have dinner. Now let's all sit down and eat," Nathan ushered everyone to the table and they all took their seats. Brooke sat at one end of the table with Haley at the corner end next to her. Beside Haley sat Peyton with Lucas to her left and Nathan sat at the other end of the table with Teresa on the other corner adjacent to her boyfriend. Jake sat next to Teresa with Jenny in her carrier on the chair beside him by Brooke.

The guys started to reach for some of the dishes to fill their plates but they stopped at the tsking sound Haley made as she shook her head, "No guys, before you go diving into the food, we're going to say a prayer." "Fine," the boys groaned softly and sighed as they set their plates back on the surface of the table. "So, who wants to do the prayer," Haley asked, looking around, "Lucas? Why don't you say the prayer your mom always says when we have Thanksgiving with her?" "I don't pay attention to that stuff. I'm always focused on the food. You probably know it by heart Hales, and since you suggested the prayer, why don't you say it," Lucas responded with a smile. "Chicken," Brooke coughed under her breath. "Nope, turkey. We're having turkey Brooke," Lucas grinned cheekily at her. "Why I oughta," Brooke made a move to stand with her hand raised, but Haley pulled her back down. "No fighting at the table please," Haley said, "now let's all join hands." Nathan and Lucas turned to each other with disgusted expressions on their faces, "Ew, I don't want to hold hands with you," Nathan joked good-naturedly. "Right back at ya," Lucas replied. "Come on guys, it's just for a minute or two while we say the prayer," Haley sighed. "Fine, just for you Hales," Nathan smiled. "Thank you," Haley responded as she lowered her head and closed her eyes, "now everyone please bow their heads." All did as told and after a few seconds of silence, Haley finally began.

"Dear God, please bless this food we are about to eat. You have been good to all of us this year despite the hardships we each have faced. We lived life to its fullest. We found love," Haley smiled as she gazed at her girlfriend and gently squeezed her hand, "We made new friends," Haley looked to Nathan and Lucas, two brothers who had once been enemies and now were the best of friends, "We lost some people along the way," Haley glanced at Lucas again then Peyton, who had her eyes open with tears welling in them and she looked up to give Haley a small smile, "But most important, we stuck by each other through everything. God, please watch over our friends and family and bless them with all that you have. Without them, we wouldn't be who we are today. Without them, we wouldn't be a family," Haley said, getting teary-eyed herself as she squeezed Brooke's hand once more then finally raised her head again, "Amen." "Amen! Now let's eat," Nathan exclaimed as he began to heap mashed potatoes and gravy onto his plate. "That was beautiful, baby," Brooke whispered as she leaned over and gently kissed her lips. "Hales, that wasn't my mom's prayer speech," Lucas replied with a smirk. Haley opened her mouth and pointed a finger at him, "I knew it! You just wanted to get out of saying the prayer! And, I improvised!" "Well it was much better than I could have ever said it," Lucas responded. "Thank you," Haley accepted politely then stood from her chair, "Now who wants some turkey?" All three boys responded in unison, "I call a drumstick!"

Haley laughed, "Sorry boys, there's only two drumsticks so you're gonna have to decide between yourselves which person will lose out." "Lucas and Nathan can have them, I don't really care as long as it's not white meat," Jake replied. Once everyone had gotten their food and had begun to eat, Brooke asked as she slid a cranberry into her mouth with her fork, "Hey Hales, what did you mean earlier when you said we lost some people along the way?" "I um, well I meant-" Haley started but Peyton placed her hand over Haley's, "No Hales, you shouldn't have to keep it a secret anymore. It's my place to tell her." Brooke looked up to her friend with confusion in her eyes, "Peyton, what are you talking about?" "Well, um, remember those tests results at the hospital," Peyton began and gave Lucas a small smile when he took her hand in his and squeezed it. "Yeah, they were negative," Brooke responded, still confused. "Well, for awhile I thought I was pregnant so I finally told Lucas, and this was all when Haley and Lucas were fighting, and I took an at-home pregnancy test and it was positive. We talked for a little bit and decided we wanted to keep the baby but Lucas still wanted to be absolutely sure so we went to the hospital and the doctor took some blood, I peed in a cup, and what do you know, the next day I find out I'm not pregnant," Peyton said this last part in a whisper as she lowered her head to hide the few tears welling in her eyes.

Brooke's bottom lip trembled as tears of her own formed behind her eyes sitting there staring at her friend in shock. She rushed from her chair and wrapped her arms tightly around Peyton, burying her face in the crook of Peyton's neck. "Oh Peaches," Brooke whispered softly, "I'm so sorry…Why didn't you tell me?" "I-I was scared and upset and I didn't know what to do. I wanted to tell you, but things were so messed up…You and Haley were dealing with your own problems and things weren't all that great between Lucas and all of us… I just-I didn't know what to do. I was so torn…I hated that I broke the promise I made to you and Haley but this, this was just too much…" Peyton placed a hand on her stomach as she choked on a sob, "I had to talk to him, Brooke." "Sh, it's alright," Brooke murmured into her ear as she stroked her hair and rubbed her back to comfort her. Peyton choked on a breath of air as she wiped her eyes and let out a slight laugh, "I'm sorry, here I am crying in front of everybody and ruining Thanksgiving dinner. Let's just eat and have a nice night. I don't want to talk about it anymore." "Sure P. Sawyer," Brooke gave her a small smile as she rubbed the side of her arm and stood back up, returning to her chair.

Lucas gently squeezed her hand in comfort and leaned near her, whispering in her ear as he kissed her cheek, "I love you, you know that? We'll get through this. Things will get easier as time goes by. Just know that I love you and nothing, nothing will ever change that." "Stop, you're making me cry again," Peyton smiled as she wiped her eyes then kissed him softly on the lips and rested her head on his shoulder, "I love you too." "Can somebody pass the mashed potatoes please," Brooke whined as she strained to reach the bowl, threatening to get her shirt dirty by the other dishes on the table. "Brooke, stop whining like a one year old, here's your mashed potatoes. No offence to Jenny. She's such a cutie pie, yes you are," Haley cooed as she tickled the little girl's tummy, causing her to giggle. "What about me," Brooke asked, a pout forming on her face. "Eat your mashed potatoes Brooke," Haley grinned, playfully sticking out her tongue. "You better watch that tongue of yours, missy," Brooke warned. "Oh really? What are you going to do to it," Haley smirked back. Brooke opened her mouth to answer but Jake spoke up, covering Jenny's ears, "Whoa, stop right there! Little ears in hearing distance!" "Sorry Jake," Brooke smiled, "got a little carried away there for a moment." "I'll say," Lucas muttered with a chuckle. "Excuse me, but weren't you just sucking face with your girlfriend not two minutes ago," Brooke asked with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah, yeah, let's just eat," Lucas grumbled as he stuffed his fork in his mouth. "That's what I thought," Brooke replied with a smirk and Lucas glared at her for a few moments then rolled his eyes and retuned to eating his food.

"Brooke," Haley giggled in a whisper ten minutes later as she tried to concentrate on eating instead of what was going on under the table, "stop." "Why Hales, I thought you liked being on the bottom," Brooke smirked as she murmured in her ear. "No, I told you I liked it on top," Haley hissed back quietly as she jerked her arm and placed her finger on top of Brooke's. "Ha-ley," Brooke whined as she too twisted her arm and tried to gain the advantage. They battled it out silently for a few seconds but when Brooke tried to overpower Haley again, she ended up knocking their hands against the underside of the table. "Ow Brooke! That hurt," Haley replied as she pulled her hand out and began to rub it to soothe the pain. "I'm sorry baby," Brooke kissed her injured hand, "I didn't mean to hurt you." "I know," Haley replied, "it's just that you can be a little rough sometimes." During all this, the others had stopped eating their food at Brooke and Haley's words and actions and sat there staring at them in shock. Nathan was the first to regain his voice, "Do we have to separate you two? What were you doing under there?" "We were playing thumb war," Brooke responded nonchalantly. "Thumb war? Is that supposed to have some kind of sexual undertone to it," Lucas asked warily. "No, we were really playing thumb war," Haley grumbled, pouting because she had lost. "So Haley, you like it on top," Nathan winked and wiggled his eyebrows at her. "In thumb war! The winner of thumb war is always on top!" Haley exclaimed as a dark pink color flushed her already rosy red cheeks.

"Nate, you have a girlfriend, who might I add, is sitting right next to you. Plus, Haley is like your sister. Show a little respect," Lucas replied as he lightly slapped his brother in the back of the head. "Then I should say the same for you big brother," Nathan grinned as he hit Lucas back, "You're the one who implied that something sexual was going on under the table. She's like your sister too." "Ew," Lucas replied as he scrunched up his face. Jake laughed, "Haha, you suckers lose out. I don't have a girlfriend." "But she does. Hands off, she's mine!" Brooke replied, wrapping an arm around Haley's shoulders protectively. "Aw, come on Brooke, be a good sport. Remember what we were going to give Jake for Christmas," Haley smirked and winked at her. "You aren't serious," Brooke stared at her wide-eyed, "were you?" "Maybe," Haley grinned her devilish little smile at Brooke then leaned over to Jake and kissed his cheek, "You're gonna be one lucky guy this Christmas, Jake."

"God I am so full," Brooke groaned, holding her stomach as she flopped down onto the couch, laying her head in Haley's lap. Their friends had left about an hour ago and since Haley had done all the cooking, Brooke had offered to clean up and do the dishes. "That's what you get for each two platefuls of food," Haley chuckled as she set down the book she was reading on the side table next to the armrest. Brooke only grumbled something incoherent in response. Haley picked a few strands away from covering her face and softly stroked Brooke's hair, "Christmas is coming up you know. What do you want for Christmas? Are you going to give me a list?" "I don't want anything," Brooke responded as she smiled and took Haley's hand into hers, lacing their fingers together and softly kissing her hand, "I have everything I want right here." Haley smiled lovingly at her girlfriend and leaned down to give her a slow, gentle kiss. "I have everything I want right here too," Haley murmured against her lips, "I love you so much." Brooke nuzzled Haley's cheek and gave her a sweet kiss on the tip of her nose, "I love you too. I don't know what I'd do without you, you know. I don't know what I did to earn a love like this, but I must be doing something right if I got you. I thank god every day that you came into my life…" Brooke stopped, becoming too choked up as tears streamed down her face and she gently caressed Haley's cheek with her thumb.

Haley covered Brooke's hand with her own then moved their hands to her lips so she kissed her palm, her own tears welling in her eyes, "Me too. Like you told me that night on the beach, I never knew love before, real love, and I know ours is true. Our love is the kind that will last a lifetime and beyond…I never want us to fall out of love because it would hurt too much and I don't think I can ever stop loving you." "I don't think I can ever stop loving you either," Brooke murmured as she placed her free hand behind Haley's head and pulled her down to meet her lips in a tender and passionate kiss. They parted for air some minutes later and Haley rested her forehead against Brooke's, staring deep into her eyes as she stroked her hair and brushed a few strands away from her face. Brooke's eyelids fluttered up and down slowly, fighting sleep as she kept her gaze locked on Haley. "It's getting late," Haley whispered as she rubbed her thumb across Brooke's cheek, "and we're both exhausted. Why don't we go to bed?" Brooke nodded as she sat up then stood to her feet, clasping her hand with Haley's as they walked to their bedroom. They changed into their pajamas and brushed their teeth and hair before crawling into bed under the covers. Haley snuggled close as Brooke wrapped her arms around her girlfriend and with one hand, laced her fingers through Haley's. "Goodnight Tigger," Haley murmured, fast falling asleep. "Night baby," Brooke stroked her hair once and kissed the top of her head as she pulled Haley closer to her body and closed her eyes, smiling as she too began to drift off to sleep.

**Note:** Teresa is a nice cheerleader in this fic. She's a little like Haley but like Brooke too. Kind of hard to explain her. But she's nice in this fic. She is so often portrayed as a bitchy or airhead cheerleader in other fics so I tried a different personality with her for this story.


	30. Chapter 30

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! Sorry for the interminably long wait. I've just been really busy with college and not very inspired to write. I hope this chapter will more than make up for it thought because it is 33 typed pages long, the longest chapter in the history of my writing lol. Well, I won't keep you waiting any longer. Here's the 30th chapter to ITPOAA! I hope you like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are the property of the WB and CW.

**Rating: **K+ to T

**In the Presence of An Angel **

**Chapter 30**

The bell rang, signaling the end of classes for the day and Brooke quickly gathered her books and rushed out of the classroom to her locker where she put her books up then raced down the hall towards Haley's locker. Brooke's smile widened when she saw her girlfriend and called out to her, "Hales!" Haley turned when she heard her name and it was just enough time to steady herself before Brooke pounced on her, wrapping her arms around Haley's neck and her legs around her waist and laughing the whole time. "What's with all the excitement Tigger," Haley smiled as she gave her a quick peck on the lips in greeting. "Only one more week until winter vacation and the weatherman says we're due to have a lot of snow by the end of the week! It's going to be a white Christmas! Oh I hope the snow comes early so we don't have school! We can have a snow day! I just love the snow. Winter is my favorite season besides summer. I can't wait! I'm so psyched," Brooke squealed in happiness, clapping her hands. Haley chuckled softly at her girlfriend's excitement. "Plus, I'm actually going to participate in cheerleading practice today! It's been months since I've done a routine. I should probably work out a little bit to get back in shape, maybe a little running and some exercises-" Brooke mused in thought but was cut off by Haley.

"Brooke, are you sure that's such a wise idea? You're still recovering and even if you needed to get back in shape, which you don't, you need to take it slow. You just can't start out with intense training like running and stuff like that. You could pull a muscle or hurt yourself or worse, you could collapse again," Haley responded concernedly with a few tears welling in her eyes as she placed her hand over Brooke's heart. "Hales, I'm fine. I've never felt better, and it's all because of you," Brooke whispered as she kissed her cheek, "I promise I'll take it slow. Are you working at the café today? I'll come by after practice for a little while and then we can go home together after your shift is over, okay?" "Sounds great," Haley smiled as she gave her one last peck on the lips, "I've gotta get to the café. Oh and Brooke? Be careful okay?" "I will. See you in a while, crocodile," Brooke smiled as she released Haley from her hug. "Definitely later, alligator," Haley winked at her over her shoulder as she walked off down the hall.

"Hey babe," Brooke kissed Haley hello when she entered the café and walked over to her girlfriend. "Hey, how was practice," Haley smiled as she returned to the counter with the coffee pot after making her rounds. Brooke sighed as she slid onto a stool and dumped her duffel bag on the floor with a soft thud by her feet, "Tiring, both mentally and physically." "You didn't overwork yourself, did you," Haley asked with a concerned look on her face. "No, not really; I made sure to take it easy. It's just the team…we're sort of out of whack now and since I kicked Katrina off the team, we're short one cheerleader and most of our routines won't work with the number we have now. I don't want to have to hold cheerleading tryouts in the middle of the year especially with the holidays and everything. Plus, we only need one person so it seems kind of pointless to hold tryouts anyway. Ugh, this is just so frustrating," Brooke sighed again as she rested her chin on her arms. "I'm sorry," Haley replied sympathetically as she rubbed her arm, "you'll think of something. You always do." Not wanting to think about it anymore, Brooke smirked as she raised an eyebrow, "So, what do I have to do to get some food around here?"

"Ugh, I can't believe you made me bus tables and wash dishes all afternoon. My hands are waterlogged and they need to be moisturized," Brooke complained as she plopped down onto a chair with a huff while Haley and Karen closed up. "Aw, poor baby, sometimes you just have to get down and dirty," Haley winked at her. "When I asked what I had to do to get some food around here, I didn't mean busing tables and doing the dishes," Brooke replied. "Oh but you did such a good job at Thanksgiving so I thought you could put those skills to some good use since they don't often show themselves," Haley stuck out her tongue at Brooke. "Hey, I help out around the apartment," Brooke protested. "Sure you do. You do it so well that I have to do everything you do a second time to make sure it is perfect," Haley laughed. "You're teasing me," Brooke pouted as she hung her head, her bottom lip prominently sticking out. "I know, I'm sorry. You know I love that pout of yours," Haley smiled as she grabbed her chin and moved it side to side slightly, "it is just so cute." "You're cute," Brooke leaned her head up and captured Haley's lips with her own.

"Alright girls, you put in a good day's work. Why don't you two go home? I'm sure you have homework to do or other plans than hanging out around here. I can handle things from here," Karen replied as she went to the cash register. "Other plans is more like it," Brooke mumbled as she winked at Haley. "Oh Brooke? Here, thanks for helping out today," Karen smiled as she handed Brooke some cash. "Thanks Karen," Brooke grinned as she hugged the older woman. "No problem honey," she responded. "Okay, let's see how much I made in the tip jar today," Haley said as she picked up the jar with her name on it. Once she counted it all out, a big grin spread across her face, "Forty-seven dollars and eighty cents. Not bad for a few hours." "Forty-seven dollars? Wow, Hales that's great," Brooke exclaimed. "What can I say? Customer service pays off," Haley laughed. "Maybe I should get into the waitressing business. I'm not gonna have Daddy's money forever. I've got to start being independent. Hey Karen, got any open spots for a new waitress?" "I'm sure we can fit you in. You and Haley make a great team together," Karen replied. "Of course we do," Brooke smirked as she slung her arm around Haley's shoulders. "Just make sure you keep her out of your kitchen, Karen," Haley warned with a mock glare.

"Oh, you're impossible. Wait until I get you home. You're gonna pay for that," Brooke responded. "Speaking of paying…it's the 15th. Pay day time, dear mother," Haley smiled cheekily at Karen. She laughed as she handed Haley some cash too, "Here you go Hales. Don't spend it all in one place." "Oh we will," Brooke replied with a seductive smirk towards her girlfriend. "No Brooke, you're not going to buy out the lingerie store like last time, it's going straight to the landlord for this month's rent," Haley responded as she counted out the money, "Hey Karen? I think you cut me a little short here." "I know. I had to pay Brooke a little something for her work so I took some out of your wages and gave it to her. After all, she did help you on your shift today so she deserves some of the credit." "Wow, thanks Karen. I feel so honored," Brooke laughed, placing a hand to her chest. "Okay, that's it. You are so not getting any tonight and I was so in the mood too until you pulled that little stunt. Goodnight Karen, I have to go home and punish my girlfriend-" "Ooh, sounds kinky," Brooke giggled, interrupting Haley before she could finish what she was saying. "Brooke," Haley shrieked, appalled that Brooke had mentioned something like that in front of Karen, who was like a mother to her, then put her hands on Brooke's shoulders and began to guide her out of the café, "Alright, let's go. March!" "Aye, aye Captain," Brooke saluted her, laughing.

"God, you two are worse than Peyton and Lucas!" Karen laughed as she rushed after the girls and handed some more bills to Haley, "Haley wait, I was just teasing. Here's the rest of your money." "No really, you don't have to Karen. I was kidding. I really don't mind," Haley objected, handing her back the money. "No, it's alright. Take it Haley," Karen offered it to her. "No, I couldn't…" Haley shook her head. "For god sakes woman, take the money!" Brooke exclaimed loud enough so that other passersby looked at them weirdly. "Thanks Mom," Haley whispered in her ear as she kissed her cheek and finally took the money from her, chuckling, "I better get her home and slip those crazy pills into her drink before she gets worse. See you tomorrow." "Bye honey," Karen laughed as she hugged her then started to walk back into the café. "Oh you are in so much trouble missy," Haley responded with a little laugh as she pushed Brooke towards the car.

The alarm clock went off at five the next morning and Haley quickly slapped her hand onto it to stop the annoying noise before slowly moving from Brooke's hold to get out of the bed. "Where are you going," Brooke mumbled sleepily as she pulled her arm tighter around her girlfriend. "Sh…go back to sleep. I have to get up early because I have a seven o'clock tutoring session. I'm going to take the car and I called Nathan. You can catch a ride with him. I'll see you later at school, okay? I love you," Haley said as she softly stroked Brooke's hair and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "Love you too," Brooke mumbled as she finally let Haley go and turned to the other side of the bed, pulling Haley's pillow with her and holding it in her arms as she curled up and went back to sleep. Haley smiled softly at the sight. Brooke always looked so adorable while she slept. She wished she could crawl back into bed beside her girlfriend and sleep a little more, but more pressing matters were at hand.

"Hales, you do realize it is 6:30 in the morning on a school day. I could be asleep right now," Lucas grumbled groggily as he opened the door for her then went to the coffee pot and poured himself a cup. "I know, I'm sorry. It's just that Christmas is a week away and I have absolutely no idea what to get Brooke! We said that we wouldn't get each other anything for Christmas but I want to since this is our first Christmas together and I want to make it special. I just don't know what to get her and I need some ideas," Haley pleaded with him, "Please Luke? I really need your help." "I don't know why, I don't know what to get her. Besides, you always think of something creative to do," Lucas responded as he sipped his coffee. "You dated her Luke," Haley exclaimed in protest. "For six weeks," he replied, "in that span of time there were no holidays or her birthday or special occasions so I didn't give her anything." "What about one month anniversaries, Luke," Haley asked with a raised eyebrow. "One month…oh shit," he exclaimed, placing both his hands on the top of his head. "Maybe that's where you went wrong Luke," Haley smirked, "but I'm not complaining. It turns out we both lucked out anyway. I found the love of my life and you did too. It's a win-win situation." "Yeah," Lucas smiled, his eyes glazing over as he thought of his girlfriend. "Earth to Luke! Get your mind out of the gutter. Now I really need some help here. You have any ideas," Haley asked as she waved her hand in front of his face.

"I don't know, buy her some clothes or something. You know she loves clothes," Lucas responded. "Believe me, she is fully stocked in clothes. I get about two feet of closet space and the rest is all her stuff," Haley laughed, "Clothes are out, what next?" "Um…well, what else does she like," Lucas asked as he tried to think of some more things Haley could get Brooke. "She likes cheerleading, clothes but we already ruled that out…um, she likes to read. I could get her a book or maybe a journal," Haley questioned him then wrinkled her nose, "nah I don't want to get something lame like that for our first Christmas together. What about you?" "Nothing," he responded with a shrug. "Gee, you're a really big help," Haley replied sarcastically. "Sorry. What else does she like," Lucas asked as he sat down in one of the kitchen chairs. "Hmm…cheerleading, clothes, shoes, drinking, parties…" "Hey, here's an idea. She loves to drink right? Get her a special bottle of wine or champagne," he suggested with a grin. "Gee, that's a great idea Luke! Why didn't I think of that? Maybe it's because I'm under twenty-one so it's not only unobtainable, but it's illegal and did you forget that the person receiving the alcohol has a heart condition," Haley replied sarcastically with anger in her voice. She was getting frustrated with the lack of ideas and her friend's apparent disinterest in helping her think of the perfect gift for Brooke.

"Hales, I'm sorry. I was just kidding," Lucas responded apologetically as he stood from his chair and rubbed his hands up and down the sides of her arms. "Well it wasn't funny," Haley grumbled as she crossed her arms over her chest then sighed, "I'm sorry Luke. I'm just a little stressed out about this because it's only a week away and I want to get her something nice. I just don't know what to get her. What do you get a girl who practically has everything?" "More of it," Lucas laughed and Haley glared at him, "so, other things she likes…" Lucas looked up at the ceiling as he thought of different things he knew Brooke liked, "Flowers, shoes, anything chocolate, lingerie, sex, you…Ew! I can't believe I just thought of that! Bad mental image! Bad mental image," Lucas squeezed his eyes shut and pounded his hands on his head then a thought came to him and he smiled at her, "Hey, I have an idea! Get her some lingerie! You can never go wrong with lingerie for Brooke." "Please, Brooke probably has one piece of lingerie for every day of the year, including leap year! Possibly even more than that," Haley rolled her eyes. Lucas smirked as he laughed a little, "No, I meant you could get her some lingerie that you could wear for her." Haley's cheeks tinted a dark shade of pink as she opened her mouth to say something, but all she did was stutter, "I-I…" "Oh my god, did I just render Haley Elizabeth James, queen of comebacks and quick wit, speechless," Lucas chuckled. "Luke," Haley exclaimed, slapping him in the chest with the back of her hand. "Sorry, I just had to. You're cute when you're embarrassed," he smiled cheekily at her.

Haley blushed even more as she turned her head away from him, "Okay, so, ideas?" "Hmm…there's always jewelry. Brooke likes jewelry. You know, diamonds are a girl's best friend," he grinned. "I don't think I can afford diamonds Lucas. We need the money for rent and the car payment and school…" Haley responded sadly with a pout, because she actually thought getting Brooke some jewelry was a good idea. "You could get her a charm bracelet or something. They have lots of things to choose from," Lucas replied. "Okay. Will you go with me to the mall this afternoon to look around? Even though we've narrowed it down to a specific category, I still don't know what I want to get her and I'll need help picking something out," she responded as she twisted her hands in nervousness. Lucas wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "It'll be alright Hales. I'm sure whatever you get her she will love." "But I want it to be perfect," Haley protested. "It will," he reassured her as he rubbed her back, "now we need to get to school. Do you need a ride?" "No, I took the car this morning. Meet me by my locker after school okay?" "Will do," he replied, "we better go or we'll be late." "See you later Luke," Haley waved to him as she dashed out of the house to her car. "Bye Hales," he called out and she waved to him again before pulling out of the driveway.

Haley made it to school with fifteen minutes to spare before class started, just enough time to get her books from her locker and spend a few minutes with her girlfriend. She made sure to lock the car before she rushed into the school building, eager to be with Brooke again. She dropped off the books she didn't need and exchanged them for ones she needed for her first two classes at her locker and just as she closed it, she heard whistles and catcalls being made from the guys. "I'll give you some," one guy hollered as another shouted, "Yeah baby, come to me and I'll satisfy you!" The first one was punched by Nathan and the other by Lucas, Peyton giving them both a swift kick to the groin for good measure. _'Oh no, what has Brooke done this time,' _Haley groaned to herself, remembering a few occasions where Brooke had come to school wearing only a camisole with her bra under it and tried to pass it off as a silk spaghetti strap shirt. Boy, were the guys swooning that day. It didn't leave much to the imagination if you get the drift. Finally Brooke appeared from the crowd and Haley glanced at her outfit. She was wearing one of Peyton's band shirts from a Simple Plan concert earlier in the year and a pair of denim capris. _'Nothing wrong with that,' _Haley mused, but wondered what all the fuss was about.

Brooke smiled when she spotted her girlfriend and sidled up to her, wrapping an arm around her waist and pacing a soft peck on her lips, "Hey Hales." There was a collective groan from the audience and they went back to their business once the show was over. "Hey, what was all the commotion about," she asked. "Oh, I don't know. Those guys are always like that," Brooke responded. "Brooke," Peyton jabbed her in the side with her elbow. "Ow," Brooke shrieked, rubbing the injured spot, "What was that for?" "You know what," Peyton glared at her good-naturedly. "I have no idea what you're talking about Peyt," Brooke replied with a wink and pulled Haley's hand with her as she started to walk away, "Come on Hales, walk with me to class." Haley followed after her and when Brooke flipped her hair to the side, Haley saw what the guys had been causing a ruckus about and her eyes grew wide. "Brooke," Haley yelled as she grabbed the sleeve of her shirt and started pulling her off to the side of the hallway where there were less people around, "Can I talk to you for a minute?" "Sure, what's up," Brooke asked nonchalantly, all the while smiling on the inside knowing that Haley had seen what was on her shirt. Haley looked at the back of the shirt again to make sure she had read it right then faced her girlfriend. "'Still not getting any' Brooke," Haley asked incredulously then leaned close and hissed in her ear, "You know darn well you're getting some, so why in the hell are you wearing that shirt?" Brooke responded with a joking smile as she lifted her hands up in a shrug, "What can I say? I love the band." Lucas, Peyton, Jake, and Nathan, who were all nearby heard this and burst out laughing.

"Like hell you do. You don't even like that kind of music and I know that's Peyton's shirt," Haley retorted as she released her tight hold on the sleeve. Brooke stopped laughing and her facial expression changed from one of mirth and happiness to sadness and concern, "Hales, are you really that mad at me? It was just a joke! Remember last night at the café when you said, 'You are so not getting any tonight?' This was just a little joke. I didn't mean anything by it. If I had known it would upset you this much, I wouldn't have done it. I'm sorry. Do you forgive me?" Brooke cupped Haley's cheeks in her hands and gently lifted her chin so she could stare into her deep brown eyes. Tears welled in them as Haley wrapped her fingers around Brooke's wrists but made no attempt to move them away. "I hate when you do things like this," Haley whispered, darting her eyes away as she lowered her head to stare at the floor for a few moments before she looked back up at her again, "Brooke, don't you realize that you could have any guy in this school? When you do things like this, I-I…I'm scared that I'll lose you, that you'll find someone better, a guy who'll sweep you off your feet, a guy that could give you so much more than I can…" Haley was crying silently now as her grip tightened around Brooke's wrists, lowering her head to hide her tears so other people wouldn't see.

"Baby…" Brooke murmured as she stroked her cheeks softly with her thumbs and made Haley look into her eyes, "You need to get past these insecurities. I love you, okay? I love you. Nothing, no one, is ever going to change that, you hear me?" Haley nodded slightly, unable to speak as she sucked in a deep breath. "Come here," Brooke opened her arms wide and gestured Haley to come closer. Brooke wrapped her in a tight hug and held her for several moments, slowly rubbing her back in circular motions and long strokes. "Sh…it's okay," Brooke whispered as she kissed Haley's forehead then her cheek and finally captured Haley's lips with her own in a soft, tender kiss. The one-minute bell rang but that did not stop them; they stood there in the hallway kissing as other students walked past them to their classrooms. "Get a room you two," Lucas called out, laughing, as he and Peyton passed by. Neither of them said anything nor broke apart, but Brooke flipped him off. Finally they separated for some much needed air and Brooke rested her forehead against Haley's. "You okay," she asked, rubbing Haley's shoulders and the sides of her arms. Haley nodded silently as she looked up at Brooke and gave her a watery smile, finally letting go of Brooke's wrists to wipe her eyes but then she finally spoke, "Yeah." Brooke looked around to see if any teachers or other faculty were around and when she saw none, she took Haley's hand and tugged on it, leading her towards the doors, "Come on, let's get out of here."

"Hales? I thought we were supposed to meet by your locker after school and I didn't see you at lunch. Where are you," Lucas asked when he heard the phone pick up on the other end of the line. "I'm sorry Luke. I'm at the park with Brooke. After everything that happened at school this morning, Brooke just wanted to get out of there so we've just been hanging around town and stuff. Do you want to meet at the café in twenty minutes," Haley explained as she stroked Brooke's hair, whose head was resting on her shoulder. "Yeah, I'll be there. Don't be late. I know how long it takes you to get moving when Brooke is around," Lucas smirked as he chuckled lightly. "Shut up," Haley replied with laughter of her own, "See you there." "Bye," he replied before hanging up his phone. "Do you really have to go," Brooke murmured as she snuggled closer to her girlfriend. "Yeah sweetie, I do. Lucas and I made plans to go shopping for a Christmas present for Peyton," Haley lied as she rolled her eyes, "you know how guys are. Most of the time, they have no clue what to get a girl." Brooke chuckled, "Yeah." "Alright, I'll see you later. You can take the car, the café isn't that far from here," Haley kissed her deeply one last time before standing up and brushing the grass off of her body. "Okay, have fun," Brooke smiled as she watched Haley jog off in the direction of the café.

"Have you thought about what kind of jewelry you want to get Brooke," Lucas asked as the walked through the mall towards the cluster of jewelry stores. "I'm still not sure. A bracelet would be nice but I don't know if I want to get her a charm bracelet. It seems kind of childish to get her something like that. A charm bracelet is something you would get a young girl, not Brooke," Haley replied, biting her lip in thought. Lucas grinned at her, "You still have yours." "Of course I do, but there have been some occasions where I have wanted to throw it out the window of a moving car when you haven't been nice to me," she joked, laughing, but stopped at Lucas' intense, pain-filled gaze and realized what he was thinking of; she rubbed his arm, "Gosh, I'm sorry Luke. I didn't mean it like that. Guess it's still a little too early to joke about it. I'm sorry. Come on, let's go look at what they have in Zales." They walked into the store and started browsing the bracelets in the big glass casings. "What kind of stones does she like, do you know," Lucas asked. "I don't know what stones exactly she likes, but I know she likes colors like pink, purple, blue, red, and diamonds are good too," Haley explained. "Okay, so rose quartz, amethyst, sapphires, rubies, and diamonds, got it," Lucas nodded. Haley smiled at him with a raised eyebrow, "You sure know your stones." Lucas shrugged with a grin, "I've sort of been looking at stones a lot lately." Haley's eyes grew wide as she started to stutter, "Lucas, are you- Peyton? Are you going to propose?" He smiled sheepishly, blushing a little, as he shrugged again slightly, "I've been thinking about it. But not right now, maybe once we graduate in a couple months." "Wow…" Haley breathed out slowly.

"Hales, what about this one? It's gold with sapphires and diamonds on it," Lucas said as he pointed it out to her. "I like it, but I'm not sure if gold is really her kind of color. I think of her as more into silver than gold," Haley replied, studying the bracelet. "Here's a white gold bracelet with amethyst and light blue stones, I think it's called Tanzanite, and it has diamonds on it too," he pointed out another one. Haley was awestruck by the beauty of the piece as the breath hitched in her throat. "It-It's beautiful Luke," Haley whispered as she gazed at it then looked down at the price and turned her head away, a single tear rolling down her cheek, "but I can't afford that Luke. It's too expensive." "I'll help you pay for it," Lucas offered, "we'll go halves on it." "No Luke, I couldn't ask you to do that," Haley shook her head, "Besides, I want to get her something that's just from me." "But it would be," he protested. Haley shook her head again, "No Luke. Let's just look at something else. I don't want to look at bracelets anymore." Lucas nodded and looked back to the bracelet one more time before following after his friend. "How about a ring," he suggested as they walked along the row of glass cases. "Brooke doesn't really wear rings that much," Haley replied sullenly. "A necklace," Lucas asked. Haley shrugged with a pout still firmly in place, "I guess we can take a look." They walked by the necklace case and Haley barely even paid any interest to what they had. "There isn't anything I like," Haley sighed as she started to walk towards the doors of the store, "Let's just go. Can you take me home? I don't feel like shopping anymore." "Okay," he replied quietly as he placed his hand on her back and led her out of the store.

Haley trudged into the apartment and dumped her purse on the kitchen counter before heading straight to the freezer for her favorite Ben and Jerry's Rocky Road ice cream. She didn't even bother getting a bowl from the cupboard, just grabbed a spoon and sank down onto the couch. She flipped channels on the television with the remote for a few minutes but nothing good was on so she switched it off and turned on the radio. She sat there for several moments, sucking the ice cream from her spoon as she thought of that bracelet she'd seen today. She wanted so bad to get that bracelet for Brooke but it was too expensive and she just couldn't afford it right now. They had the rent for the apartment, car payments and insurance for her car, groceries, things for school. She just couldn't go and blow a large amount of their money just to buy some bracelet. But it was such a beautiful bracelet and she knew Brooke would love it…

Haley jumped as she felt warms lips on her neck and a soft murmur in her ear as Brooke wrapped her arms around her from behind, "Hey baby." "Hey," Haley responded as she tilted her head back to place a quick kiss on her cheek before taking another bite of ice cream. Brooke unwrapped her arms from Haley's neck and walked around the couch to face her with an expression of concern, "Okay, you're eating ice cream. What's wrong? Did you and Lucas get in a fight?" Haley sighed as she stuck the spoon back in the carton, "No. We just couldn't agree on anything. It's their first Christmas together so he wanted to get her something nice and whatever I liked, Lucas didn't like or it was too expensive and whatever Lucas liked, I didn't think it was Peyton's style or whatever. It was a very frustrating afternoon." "Aw, I'm sorry," Brooke responded as she curled up on the couch next to her girlfriend and stroked her hair. "It's okay," Haley replied, "You want to watch a movie?" "Yeah, we haven't done that in a long time," Brooke smiled softly, "Why don't you go get dressed in your pajamas while I set up the movie and make the popcorn? Oh, and dress warm tonight. The weatherman said the temperature is supposed to drop really low tonight. We might just get some snow!" "Alright, I'll go get my snow suit on. I'll be out in a few minutes," Haley chuckled as she stood from the couch and started to make her way back towards the bedroom.

"I'll take this," Brooke smiled as she grabbed the carton of ice cream from her and stuck the spoon in her mouth. Haley laughed as she went to go change into her pajamas. She returned to the living room ten minutes later and sat down next to Brooke, snuggling into her girlfriend and resting her head against her chest, "It is getting cold outside, we might have to turn on the heater tonight. What movie did you pick?" "Our favorite," Brooke smiled as she took the blanket off the back of the couch and covered both of them up to their shoulders with it. "Bring It On Again," Haley looked up at her. Brooke nodded as she placed her hand behind Haley's head and kissed her lips softly. Haley leaned up into the kiss as she wrapped her arms around Brooke's torso, gently laying her back against the armrest of the couch. They continued to kiss gently for several minutes until air became an issue and they pulled away, both sighing contentedly. Brooke scooted over a little so Haley could lie down next to her and positioned herself so that Haley's head rested on her shoulder. Brooke started to stroke her hair as they got comfortable and she switched on the movie with the remote. She began to run her other hand down along Haley's back as she softly pressed her lips to her forehead and it wasn't long before Haley's breathing slowed and evened out, signaling that she was fast asleep.

By later in the week, Haley couldn't stop thinking about that bracelet. It was perfect for Brooke and she knew her girlfriend would just love it. She wanted, no, needed to get that bracelet for Brooke. After looking at their budget and the money she had saved up in both her checking and savings accounts, Haley knew money would be tight for a month or two but she thought she could swing it if she was careful. So after making a transfer of funds from her savings to her checking account, Haley set out for the mall one evening after work at the café. That was one of the hard things when you worked with your girlfriend; it was tricky if not impossible to get away or go out without Brooke asking where she was going. It wasn't that Brooke was overprotective, well she was, but Brooke, nor she, never liked being away from each other for long. Haley hated lying to Brooke, but it was all for her benefit. Her lie tonight as an excuse to go to the mall? Haley claimed that Nathan needed help studying on his final exam in math and they had agreed that they would meet up at the rivercourt and go somewhere quiet so they wouldn't be bothered. Brooke had joked that Nathan better not pull any moves on her in their 'quiet' place and Haley just laughed and reminded her that he had a girlfriend before kissing her goodbye on the lips and heading out the door.

Thankfully the mall had been staying open late the past few weeks due to the fast approaching Christmas holiday so when she got there, she headed straight for Zales, bypassing the stores she would normally stop and browse. She had a mission and a budget and nothing could deter her from her ways. Sure, the bracelet would be the only thing Haley would be able to get Brooke for Christmas, but she just couldn't wait to see Brooke's face light up with joy when she opened the gift. She rushed through the mall and finally reached the store, slowing down as she neared it. Her heart was racing with excitement as she opened the door and walked in. Immediately she went to the bracelet case and searched for the coveted piece of jewelry. Her eyes widened and fear coursed through every part of her body when she didn't see it on display. She frantically looked around for an employee, hoping that they may have one in the back, and gestured him over with her hand. "Can I help you miss," the gentleman asked. "Y-Yes, um, a few days ago, you had on display a white gold bracelet with diamonds and amethyst and some blue stones…I think he called them Tanzanite, yes, that was it. I-It wasn't in the display case and I was wondering if you have any in the back," Haley asked hopefully. Maybe they were just cleaning the one that was on display. They couldn't be out of them, they just couldn't. Maybe they had some in the back. "Let me check here," the man said as he typed some things into the computer.

"Is this it," he showed her a picture on the computer screen. "Yes, yes, that's it," Haley nodded vigorously as a smile started to spread across her face. "I'm sorry, but we're out of stock on this one. We only had a limited number of them and we sold the last one yesterday. I'm very sorry. Can I interest you in something else," he asked. Haley hung her head, trying to hold back the tears welling in her eyes, "No, no, that's okay. Thanks anyway." Haley turned from the man and rushed out of the store, out of the mall and to her car. She folded her arms on the steering wheel and rested her head on them, sobbing uncontrollably. She'd waited too long and lost the chance to get that beautiful bracelet, the perfect gift, for Brooke. After several minutes, Haley calmed down a little bit and leaned her head back against the seat, her body still convulsing a little when she choked on her cries. Now what was she going to get Brooke?

Brooke wasn't there when Haley arrived home and for that she was grateful because Brooke would ask her what was wrong and why she had been crying from her obviously red and puffy eyes. She just wanted to crawl into bed and have a good cry. After taking a hot shower, Haley put on her pajamas and pulled her hair up into a haphazard bun then climbed into bed. Thoughts and images of that beautiful bracelet began to plague her mind once more as the waterworks started again. She could have had her chance to get the bracelet if she hadn't taken so long to decide that she would get it for Brooke after all. If only she had decided a day earlier she would have that bracelet in her hands right now. Thirty minutes later, Haley heard Brooke enter and she quickly shut her eyes, pretending to be asleep. Brooke wondered why Haley was already in bed when it was still early. _'She must be pretty tired,' _Brooke thought. "Hales, you awake," Brooke whispered as she changed clothes and slipped beneath the covers. Silence only followed her question as she turned towards Haley and gently wrapped an arm around her waist. "I love you," Brooke murmured as she kissed her hair and slowly closed her eyes. A single tear rolled down Haley's cheek as she mouthed the words that Brooke had said in return.

The next morning Brooke was the first to wake and she carefully slid from the bed and shivered at the cold temperature of the room. She threw on her robe and slippers and headed out into the hallway to first turn the heat up then made her way to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. As she waited for the pot to fill, Brooke turned on the radio and grabbed some milk from the fridge to make a bowl of cereal for breakfast. As Brooke ate at the counter, a few loud beeps announcing a bulletin came over the radio. "Attention all Tree Hill residents! Don't plan on going much of anywhere today! If you haven't looked out your window yet, last night we received over a foot of snow. We have sent out the snow plows to pave the roads, but we advise you that it is best to stay off them unless it is an emergency. Also, because the roads are blocked off, there will be no school today. We expect to have another six inches this afternoon and even more tonight so stay inside, bundle up, and have a Merry White Christmas folks!" While she listened to the broadcast, Brooke's eyes widened as she raced to the window and pulled the curtains aside, gazing awestruck at the white winter wonderland outside.

Brooke let out a shriek of excitement as she spun on her heel and raced to the bedroom. She fought to contain her giddiness as she carefully climbed into bed beside her girlfriend. "Hales," she whispered as she gently nudged her but got no response. "It's time to wake up baby," she murmured and lightly pressed her lips to Haley's shoulder. Still nothing. "Hales," Brooke said quietly in a sing-song voice as she kissed her nose, each cheek, and finally covered Haley's lips with her own. "Mmm, Brooke, what time is it? We have to get ready for school," Haley asked hoarsely, her voice laden with sleep. Finally, Brooke's restraint broke as she squealed in excitement, "There's no school today and probably not tomorrow either! Yes! I got my wish! We get a snow day! This is the best Christmas ever! Come on Hales, get dressed and come outside with me to play in the snow!" By now, Haley had raised one eyelid to peek out at her, "You're crazy. I'm not going to go out in that freezing cold weather and you shouldn't either. We'll get sick." "Oh come on Hales, live a little. I love playing in the snow, it's so fun. Please come out and play with me," Brooke pouted, batting her eyelashes. Haley sighed, "Fine. Give me a couple minutes to get dressed. You better bundle up good, I don't want you getting sick." "Yes Mom," Brooke rolled her eyes.

"Well don't you look like the perfect little snow bunny," Haley replied when Brooke finally entered the living room where she had been waiting for probably twenty minutes, "You look like you're ready to hit the mountains for some skiing, not some few inches of snow we probably received." "Hales, have you looked outside yet? I listened to the radio this morning and they said we got over a foot of snow last night with lots more to come this afternoon and tonight. Basically, we're holed up in here for the next two days and probably the weekend too unless you want to walk through all that snow on foot." "Come on, let's go outside. I don't want to stay out there too long because we could catch a cold or something," Haley replied as she moved to the door and opened it. Brooke rushed forward and grabbed Haley's hand into her own, lacing their gloved fingers as she gave her girlfriend one of her dimpled smiles. Together they stepped outside and Brooke watched as Haley's expression changed to one of awe as she stared at the snowy environment, the picture perfect scene right out of a Hallmark card. "It's beautiful," Haley murmured as she took a deep breath. Brooke tugged on her hand and offered another smile, "Let's go take a walk."

Once they made it to the street, it was easier for them to walk because there was less snow so they didn't have to trudge through it. "I love the winter time and the snow, the crisp cold air when you breathe it in and it fills your lungs, it just wakes you up inside when you take in that first breath, you know? It's just such a great feeling. Plus, there's Christmas and shopping and snowball fights and building snowmen…I just love this time of the year," Brooke explained as she looked at the white world around her." Haley watched Brooke's eyes light up as she listened to her talk and smiled at the excitement in her eyes. "I can tell," Haley replied as she gazed up at her girlfriend and linked her arm through Brooke's as they continued to walk down the street.

"Let's go on the swings," Brooke said as they neared the park. "You can if you want to. I'm not going to freeze my butt off sitting on those things," Haley answered as she walked over to a nearby bench a few feet in front of the swing set, "I'll just sit over here and watch you." "Fine then, be that way," Brooke pouted as she sat on one of the swings and began to pump her legs in the air, "you just sit over there all by your lonesome while I have tons of fun over here." "Okay, you do that," Haley grinned. "You're no fun," Brooke pouted again. Haley just stuck her tongue out in response. As Brooke played on the swings, Haley pondered her current predicament. Here she was two days away from Christmas and she still didn't have a present for Brooke. Now how was she going to get to the mall with the icy, snow-covered roads? Well, not all of the jewelry stores were in the mall, she could hit the stores on Main Street; they had to have something there that she could get Brooke.

Lost in thought, Haley didn't notice Brooke calling her name. Still on the swings, Brooke had no way to get her attention. Wait, there was one way… Brooke smiled devilishly as she kicked some snow with her foot on her way up in the air and a nice spray of snow fell over Haley, bringing her out of her trance. "Hey, what was that for," Haley shrieked as she wiped the snow from her face and shook her head to rid it from her hair. "You weren't paying attention to me. I was talking to you," Brooke responded with a grin. "Oh, sorry," Haley replied, "I was just thinking about some stuff." "Like what," Brooke asked as she slowed down and stopped then went over to sit beside Haley. "I still need to get some Christmas gifts for a few of the gang, but I can't get to the mall if the roads haven't been cleared," she explained. "Hmm," Brooke thought for a moment, "What about Luke? Doesn't he have tire chains or something for his truck when he has to tow cars in the winter?" Haley's eyes brightened at Brooke's suggestion, "That's right, he does! Come on, let's go home so I can call Luke to drive me over to the mall." "But I want to stay outside and play some more," Brooke pouted as she followed after Haley. "Don't think that I forgot your little rude wake up call a few minutes ago, missy. You're gonna pay for that," Haley grinned as she quickly bent down and grabbed a handful of snow, chucking it at her girlfriend. Brooke shrieked as it hit her in the face and once she had wiped it away, she said to Haley, "Oh, it is so on."

They chased each other around the park for a long time, throwing snowballs and trying to dodge the other's attacks. They stopped after a while, becoming tired of running around. "Hales, let's make snow angels," Brooke giggled as she grabbed her hand and pulled her towards a heaping pile of snow. "Brooke, no-" Haley started to protest, however, Brooke ignored them and together they fell back into the snow. They began to move their arms and legs up and down, back and forth, making the wings of the angel, and after a few minutes Haley took Brooke's hand in hers and smiled then moved their connected arms in synch. Haley's lips met Brooke's in a short, sweet kiss that quickly became passionate. She wrapped her arms around Brooke's neck and pulled her close, pressing her body flush against Brooke's. Brooke moaned as the contact, slowly turning them over so that she was lying on top of Haley as she cupped Haley's cheeks in her gloved hands and deepened the kiss. After a few minutes they pulled away, needing air. "Wow…" Haley exhaled slowly, the frosty air making her breath visible. Brooke smiled as she rested her forehead against Haley's, "Yeah, snow does that to me." Haley giggled, "Well then bring on the snow."

After a little making out, they both got up and walked back to the apartment complex where Brooke decided the area needed a little decoration so then declared that she and Haley would make a snowman. They formed the three different sized snowballs for the parts of the body, but after a struggle, they realized that they could not lift the snowball that was supposed to be the middle part of the body because it was too heavy. Luckily, Nathan happened to pass by on his way to his apartment. "What are you two doing," he chuckled with amusement as he watched them try to pick up the large ball of snow and ice. "We're trying to build a snowman, trying being the operative word here," Haley replied in a strained voice. "Hey, I know, why don't you use those strong, muscley arms of yours and lift this thing and bring it over to the other ball so at least our snowman will be tall and have a body instead of be some short little fat dude with a small head. Well, come on, get moving! We don't have all day!" Brooke ushered him to come over andmoved out of the way so he could try to pick it up.

Nathan rolled his eyes and sighed as he walked over, took it, and carried it over to the bottom snowball, placing it on top. "Do you two weaklings need me to carry the head too or can you handle it," he replied with a dry laugh. "Pretty please," Brook stuck out her bottom lip and batted her eyelashes. Haley chucked some snow at Nathan and he turned to her, seeing that she was already placing the head on top of the other two snowballs. "I'm not a weakling like Brooke over here. I'm used to hauling heavy boxes in the back of the cafe unlike little Miss I-Can't-Lift-A-Finger, I'll-Break-A-Nail. God forbid the world ends if she breaks a nail," Haley giggled and received a snowball in the face as a response from Brooke, "That time it really hurt Hales, it got torn almost down to the quick and I help out around the apartment. Didn't I help you out at the cafe just a few days ago too? See, I help out, so stop complaining and teasing me." "I'm sorry baby, you know I love teasing you. I just love that pout of yours," Haley smiled as she walked over and kissed Brooke's bottom lip, which was jutting out indignantly. She sucked it softly a few seconds before she pulled away, causing Brooke to moan in both pleasure and disappointment. "Is there any chance you two will start doing it right here out in the snow? Because otherwise, I'm gonna go inside. I'm freezing my ass off out here," Nathan chuckled as he rubbed his hands together and blew his breath on them to try and warm them up. "Nate," they both shrieked in unison, glaring at him with matching stares. "Uh oh," Nathan mumbled as he started to run, the girls chasing after him with fistfuls of snow.

"Brooke, where did you put the eyes for our snowman," Haley asked, looking around for them. "I don't know," Brooke responded almost incoherently as she munched on something. Haley's widened in realization, "Brooke, you ate the Oreos didn't you? Those were supposed to be the eyes!" Brooke lifted her shoulders in a sheepish manner, "Oops, sorry." "Those were the last two Oreos! Now what are we going to do? Our snowman has to have eyes," Haley replied, "Oh, why couldn't you eat the nose? We have lots of carrots. Why couldn't you eat those?" "I didn't want carrots. I wanted the cookies, they taste much better," Brooke answered. "Well, now what do you suggest we use for the eyes? We can't have a snowman with no eyes," Haley asked. "Umm, how about…" Brooke thought for a moment, "oh, I know! What about black olives? They're small and round like Oreos." "They're kind of small, smaller than Oreos…" Haley responded, "but they might work. Do we even have olives in the fridge?" "I don't think so. I definitely don't eat them," Brooke replied, "Well, this bites." "Nathan might have some. Think he's recovered from his defeat yet," Haley grinned at Brooke. "He's probably still nursing his wounds a bit," Brooke chuckled, "I mean, he did get attacked and beaten by two girls, that's gotta do some damage to his ego."

"Come on, let's go ask," Haley grabbed her hand and they walked to Nathan's apartment, knocking on his door. He answered it a few minutes later and groaned good-naturedly when he saw who it was, "Come back to torture me some more?" "Nope, we were wondering if you had any olives," Brooke said. Nathan quirked a brow in confusion, "Yeah. What do you need them for?" "Brooke ate the Oreos we were going to use for the eyes so we thought of olives, but since neither of us like olives, we figured you were our next best bet," Haley replied as she walked into the apartment to the fridge. "You only have green olives," Haley frowned, "Oh well, I guess they'll have to do." She speared two with a fork and returned to Brooke's side, "I'll bring the fork back." Nathan followed them out to the snowman and they put them in then Brooke put in the carrot for the nose. "Brooke, you ate part of the nose," Haley exclaimed. "What? I was hungry," Brooke shrugged, "besides, small eyes, big nose, not a good combination. I tried to even it out." Nathan laughed as he stared at the snowman with its green eyes and the red pits for irises and its short, jagged nose, "That is one weird snowman." The two girls looked at it and began to laugh as well.

After a few minutes, Haley said, "Come on Brooke, we should get inside, we've been out here in the cold weather for too long. We might get sick and catch a cold." Brooke sighed, "Fine, I guess we can go in. It is getting a little bit colder out. Let's go." "I'll fix the fireplace and we can cuddle up under the blankets while we watch a movie okay," Haley suggested with a smile. Brooke nodded then turned to Nathan, "Thanks for all your help with the snowman, Nate." "No problem, it was fun. I haven't done any stuff like that since I was little. I'll see you guys later," He waved to them as he headed to his apartment. "Bye," they replied as they too walked to their own apartment hand in hand. Brooke and Haley were lucky enough to have gotten one of the apartments on the end of the building so therefore had a fireplace. Once they got inside, they took off all their heavy clothing and snow boots and Brooke gathered the blankets while Haley started the fire. "What movie shall it be," Brooke asked as she held up two choices and Haley pointed to none, "Our favorite it is. I just love it when Marni bitches out those other two cheerleaders and when Marni has that mental breakdown in the end, it's so funny. Let me put this in then I'll lay down on the couch and you can curl up next to me." "Sounds perfect," Haley smiled as she positioned herself in front of Brooke after she had laid down on the couch. She turned her head slightly and captured Brooke's lips with her own.

After a nap following the movie, Haley decided to give Lucas a call so he could drive her to the mall. "Hello," Lucas answered to the ringing of his cell phone. "Oh Lukey," Haley said in a sing-song voice, "I have a favor to ask of you." Lucas rolled his eyes, "What is it and how much does it cost? You know this is going to put you over your Christmas present limit. I'm going to have to start cutting into your birthday present fund." "I need you to drive me to the mall so I can finish some of my Christmas shopping because you're the only one with a vehicle that can survive the snowy roads with those tire chains you have to put on them. Can you please take me," she asked hopefully. "Cutting it kind of close on the shopping a little bit aren't you Hales? Christmas is only two days away." "Yeah, yeah, I know. I've just been so busy and stuff that I haven't really had the time to go," she replied. "Sure, I'll take you. By the way, have you found anything for Brooke yet?" "Haley looked around to see if Brooke was nearby, "No. I'll look around today. If I don't find anything at the mall, I guess I'll have to think of something. I don't know what yet." He responded, "You'll think of something Hales, you always do. When do you want me to come pick you up?" "Um, meet me outside the apartment in about twenty minutes? Then when I'm ready to leave the mall I'll call your cell, okay," she inquired. "Sure, see you in a little bit," he replied. "Bye," Haley replied before hanging up and going to change clothes.

"What are you doing," Peyton smiled as she walked up behind Lucas and wrapped her arms around his waist. He jumped slightly, startled at the sound of her voice. "Nothing, just wrapping a present," he replied nonchalantly. "Ooh, for me," her eyes lit up with excitement. "No, it's for Brooke. I'm just doing Haley a favor and wrapping her presents for her while she finishes up some last minute shopping," Lucas answered as he put the finishing touches on the present, a red bow plus some green ribbon with white snowflakes on it to make it more festive. "You know, you can wrap a mean present. Maybe you should take it up as a profession," Peyton laughed as she glanced over his shoulder, "What did Haley get me?" "I don't know, she hasn't gotten a present for you yet," Lucas responded, "unless she has and didn't want to show me, afraid I'd tell you." Peyton pouted as she crossed her arms over her chest, "No fair. What did you get me?" "Now why would I tell you that," Lucas grinned. "Because you love me," she smiled and lightly kissed his cheek. "That I do," he chuckled, "but your charms will not work on me. You have to wait until Christmas to find out." "You're mean," she lightly slapped him in the chest with the back of her hand. "Oh, you're definitely not getting a present now. First you call me mean then you abuse me? Nope, it's sticks and coal for you this year." Peyton pouted again as she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him gently on the lips, "I'm sorry, forgive me?" "I'm going to need a little more convincing," Lucas laughed low in his throat. "Oh really, Mr. Scott? I think I can make it worth your while," Peyton smirked seductively as she grabbed the collar of his shirt and led him over to her bed.

"Hey Brooke," Jake greeted her as he opened the door and looked at her in concern, "You didn't drive over here, did you? The roads are icy and dangerous. I'm surprised to see you out at all. I thought you'd be holed up in the apartment because of the snow, well, and Haley too." "Nah, I walked over. Winter time is one of my favorite seasons of the year besides summer. I love the snow. Haley's out doing some shopping and I was bored so I came over here. Are you busy? I can come back later if-" He opened the door wider and gestured with his hand for her to enter, "No, come in. I was just feeding Jenny some lunch and then I was going to take her out for a little walk. Want to come along?" "Sure, it'll be fun," Brooke grinned. She followed him to the kitchen where Jenny sat in her high chair, slapping her hands on the tray and giggling as she waited for her father to feed her. Brooke laughed at the little girl's actions, "Can I feed her?" "Yeah, let me just heat this up a little bit. You can feed her the applesauce and I'll feed her the carrots, she can get kind of messy with those," Jake grinned as he ruffled his daughter's hair. He handed the applesauce to Brooke then fastened the bib around Jenny's neck.

"Okay Jenny, we have some tasty applesauce for you to eat. Yum," Brooke said as she lifted the spoon from the bowl and brought it to the girl's lips, who opened them wide and accepted the food. "Good girl, Jenny," Brooke exclaimed. "You're a natural," Jake smiled after he had watched her feed his daughter for a few minutes. Brooke responded with one of her own dimpled smiles then turned back to the little girl, "Thanks." Once Jenny was done with the applesauce, Brooke and Jake traded places so he could feed her the carrots. When Jake brought the spoon up for her to eat, Jenny scrunched up her face and turned her head away. "Come on Jen, you like carrots, remember," Jake offered the food to her again and she hesitantly accepted it before spitting right back out, the food landing on Jake's face, causing her to giggle. "Evil child," he chuckled good-naturedly as he wiped his face with a wet paper towel. "Why don't you go clean up and I will go change Jenny. She needs some new clothes and something warm to wear outside," Brooke responded as she pulled Jenny from her high chair and placed her on her hip, walking back towards Jenny's room.

"Brooke, what's the use of a stroller if all you do is carry her around," Jake asked as they walked amicably next to each other down the sidewalk. "I like holding her. Plus, up here she can see the world better than sunk down in the stroller," Brooke reasoned and smiled as she tapped Jenny lightly on the tip of her nose, "Yes, you like being outside, don't you Jenny girl?" The little girl giggled as she looked down and stared fascinated at the white powder covering the ground. "Is this the first time Jenny's seen snow," Brooke inquired as she watched her. "Pretty much. Jenny wasn't even born until January so she missed Christmas and a majority of the snow and by the time she was allowed outside, the snow was gone," he responded. "So your birthday is coming up, huh Jen? Well, we'll just have to have a little party for you won't we," Brooke grinned and laughed as Jenny clapped her hands in response, "When is her birthday?" "January 22nd, about four more weeks. I can't believe she's almost a year old, time has gone by so fast," Jake smiled as he lovingly caressed his daughter's cheek. "Before you know it, she'll be in her teen years and have her first date, her first boyfriend, she'll be kissing, and she'll be-" she was cut off by Jake. "Don't go any further, Brooke," he exclaimed, "I don't want to think about that. She's my little girl and always will be. She won't be dating until she's thirty." Brooke laughed, "I doubt that will last. She's got you wrapped around her little finger and it's only a matter of time before she figures it out and uses it to her full advantage." Jake grinned as Jenny wrapped her small hand around his index finger, "I think she already has."

Haley was almost done with all her shopping and she still had yet to find something for Brooke. She took a break and went to the food court for something to eat while she pondered other ideas of a good present she could get her girlfriend. Her cell phone rang, breaking her from her thoughts and she opened it up, placing it to her ear, "Hello?" "Hey, it's Lucas. You ready to be picked up yet," he asked. "No, I still have to find something for Brooke," Haley sighed as she tilted her head back and groaned, "God, why did we decide on jewelry for Brooke? I can't find anything I like and I don't know what else to get her." Lucas chuckled, "Well, you could always go with the lingerie idea I suggested." Haley sighed again and rubbed her hand over her face as she laughed lightly and mumbled, "At this point, that might be the only thing I can get her. I can't think of anything else." "You'll find something, I know you will," he comforted his discouraged friend. "Thanks. Well, I'm gonna go. I'll try to get things done here within the next hour or twoand then I'll call you to come pick me up, okay," she replied. "Yup, will do. See youlater Hales," he responded then hung up the phone.

After she finished talking to Lucas, Haley decided to stop in some of the other jewelry stores to see if they had anything she liked to get for Brooke. She walked into Kay Jewelers and was amazed at the many cases of jewelry they had. They probably had everything anyone could ever think of. Her mind still spinning from the sight, she had no idea where to start. She wasn't sure if she wanted to look for another bracelet after finding that other one because no other bracelet was as perfect for Brooke as that one. Before she could make a decision, one of the employees walked up to her, "May I help you, miss?" "Um, yeah…" Haley responded, looking around, "I'm here to buy some jewelry." He looked at her weirdly for a moment. Why was she here if not to buy jewelry? "What are you looking for," he asked. "Um, I'm not sure…" Haley replied, biting her lip. What would Brooke like? Brooke really wasn't into wearing rings and bracelets were out so that left necklaces and earrings. "Is there something you have in mind," he inquired. He was getting frustrated, she could tell. It was the Christmas season after all and they had a ton of customers. He didn't have the time to wait on some indecisive teenage customer who probably didn't have enough money to afford their merchandise anyway. "How about necklaces and earrings," she suggested. He smiled and gestured to some of the different cases, "Over here to the left are the necklaces and earrings and, if you're interested, the rings and bracelets are in the cases over here to the right. If you need any more help, please let me know." He gave her a tight smile before walking off to another customer.

Haley browsed the cases for about ten to fifteen minutes, searching to see if anything stood out that Brooke might like. She had found some cute earrings, but Haley didn't think Brooke would like 'cute'. Haley had almost given up hope when she spotted something shining from the necklace case. Not that there weren't many other necklaces shining from the full case, but this one seemed special in the way is shined somehow. As she approached the glass encasing, she noticed that it was a silver necklace chain with a locket on it. It was shaped like a heart with little palm trees and waves washing against a beach etched into the cover. It was beautiful and Haley knew Brooke would love it. Brooke always loved the beach and it also reminded Haley of the time shortly after the beginning of their relationship when Brooke had taken her down to the beach at midnight. Haley smiled at the memory as she stared at the necklace. There was no doubt now, she was getting the locket; it was perfect.

Just as she decided this, the employee from before appeared in front of her, "Did you find anything you like, miss?" Startled, Haley put a hand to her chest as she breathed a few heavy breaths, "Oh my, you scared me. Uh, yes, I would like to buy this silver locket necklace right here, the one with the palm trees. He smiled, "Excellent choice. Will that be all for you today?" "Yes please," Haley responded as she pulled out her checkbook and wrote a check for the amount. "Alright, here you go. Our policies on returns, refunds, and repairs are included in the paperwork and if you have any questions, our number is on there too. Thank you for shopping with us and have a Merry Christmas," the employee replied with a smile. Haley returned with one of her own, "Thanks, you too." She grabbed her bag and started to walk out when she thought of something and turned around, "Sir?" "Yes," he inquired. "You wouldn't by any chance do engravings would you," she asked. "We certainly do," he answered with a grin, "What would you like to do?"

"Gee, it's been what, five hours since I dropped you off? Are you sure you've got all your shopping done," Lucas deadpanned when he pulled up to where Haley was standing outside the mall entrance. "Smartass. Fine, no presents for you. I guess I'll just have to return them," Haley sighed dramatically as she hopped up into the cab of the truck. "Don't you dare," he replied with a chuckle, "So, what did you get me?" Haley rolled her eyes, "We go through this every year, Luke. You have to wait until Christmas when you open your present." "You're no fun," he pouted then asked, "So you said you were done with all your shopping…Did you find something for Brooke?" Haley nodded as a bright smile spread across her face. "Well, what did you get her," he inquired, curious, since she had been having trouble on deciding what to get Brooke for Christmas. She smirked and winked at him, "That's for me to know and only Brooke to find out." "You got her the lingerie, didn't you," he laughed then quickly stopped, "Eww! Bad mental image! Bad mental image!" "My lips are sealed," she giggled. Lucas was glad to see his best friend happy again; she had been mopey and depressed ever since she'd found that the bracelet was gone.

Haley bounced into the apartment and quickly went back towards the guest bedroom to hide her purchases before Brooke would see them. When she returned to the living room, she noticed that the apartment was quiet, uncharacteristic to when Brooke was home. She pulled out her cell phone and pressed one on speed dial, putting it to her ear. "Hales," Brooke asked when she answered the phone. "Hey baby, where are you," Haley inquired. "I'm at the park with Jake and Jenny. Where are you? Still at the mall? I swear you're becoming a shop-a-holic just like me. I must be rubbing off on you," she chuckled. "No, I'm at home, just got back actually. It's really cold outside Brooke, did you bundle up warmly?" "Yes, mother," Brooke sighed dramatically, "Why don't you come to the park Hales? It'll be fun. You can play with me and Jenny in the snow." "Alright, I'll be down there in a little bit. I'm just going to grab a bite to eat before I go. I'll see you in a while, crocodile," Haley smiled. "Definitely later, alligator," Brooke responded with a grin.

"Hey there, beautiful," Haley murmured as she wrapped her arms around Brooke's shoulders from behind and peppered light kisses down her neck. Brooke jumped a little, startled, then closed her eyes and let out a soft moan, "Mmm, right back at ya, gorgeous." Brooke shivered in delight as Haley kissed a sensitive spot behind her ear, a place that Haley knew drove her crazy. "You cold," she asked with a little smirk playing on her lips. "No, in fact, I'm starting to feel a little warm," Brooke grinned. "I can take care of that," Jake said behind them and they both turned to him only to have snowballs thrown at them. "Yeah," Jake exclaimed, pumping his fist into the air, "Cold shower, baby!" "Jake,"Brooke screeched. "Oh, you're in big trouble Jacob," Haley warned as she quickly crouched down and gathered some snow, launching it at him. "Hey, be careful, baby in arms, you know," he replied, pointing to Jenny, who was giggling happily, wiping the snow from her face with her small hands. "Aww, I'm sorry Jen," Haley responded as she walked over to Jake and took the little girl, placing Jenny on her hip, "Your daddy is a big ol' meanie. He threw snow at Aunt Brooke and Aunt Haley.""Hawey," she giggled as she clapped her hands and kicked her feet then rested her head against Haley's chest. "Aww, she said my name again," Haley squealed happily. "What's my name Jenny," Brooke asked, playing with her feet. "Book,"shesmiled a toothless little grin. "That's so cute," Brooke exclaimed.

"Hey Jen, who am I? Come on baby, who'syour daddy," Jake leaned in close to his daughter, tickling her tummy. Both Brooke and Haley laughed at what he had said. "Mma," Jenny tried to say, "mmeanie." Haley's eyes lit up and grew wide as she squealed, "I taught her a word! I taught Jenny a word!" "That's my Tutor Girl," Brooke grinned as she slung her arm around her girlfriend's shoulders. Jake pouted as he hung his head, "You've turned her against me. You two are evil." "Well, that's what you get for throwing snow at us and, for further punishment, you will not be getting your Christmas present from us this year," Brooke responded with a little poke to his chest and a little smirk on her lips, "and let me tell you, you're really missing out on something great." "Aww, Brooke, why'd you have to do that? I was really looking forward to giving it to him," Haley smirked as well and gave her girlfriend a little wink. Brooke's mouth fell agape as she stared at Haley in shock. Jake narrowed his eyes at them in confusion, "What exactly were you giving me as a present?" "I guess you'll never know," Brooke replied with a secretive smile.

"Hales, let's go ice skating! I haven't done that in forever," Brooke jumped up and down as they walked back to the apartment, passing a frozen pond. "No Brooke, it's getting colder outside and if we stay out longer, we're bound to get sick. Plus, I'm a klutz so I can't ice skate. Chances are I'd fall on my assand hurt myself," Haley replied. "Aw, come on Hales, I'll make sure you don't fall, please..." Brooke begged. "I don't have any skates and the ice is probably thin. The ice might break and we'll fall though and nobody will be out here to save us," Haley replied, looking at the frozen pond cautiously. "You worry too much babe. Have you seen how much snow we got last night? The ice is sure to be several inches thick and I have some old skates at home that you can use. Please Haley? I really want to go skating," Brooke whined, sticking out her lower lip in a pout and clasping her hands together in front of her, staring at her with big brown puppy dog eyes. "Fine," Haley sighed, "let's go back to the apartment and get the skates." "Yay," Brooke clapped her hands as she jumped up and down then grabbed her hand and started to run, "Let's go! I can't wait to get on the ice!"

"Brooke, I'm gonna fall," Haley shrieked as she struggled to keep from slipping on the ice. "No you won't, I've got you baby. Just hold on to me," Brooke stated as she skated up behind her and wrapped her arms around Haley's waist, "move your feet from side to side, like rollerblading, only instead of wheels you have blades." "I wouldn't know the difference! I've never gone rollerblading either! I'm a klutz remember? I steer clear of anything that could potentially severely harm or injure me. This was such a bad idea," Haley groaned. "No it wasn't," Brooke replied as she wrapped her arms tighter around Haley's waist and pouted, kissing her cheek, "just skate with me please?" "Fine," Haley sighed in defeat, "but only for a little while. We shouldn't stay out here much longer. It's going to get dark soon and the temperatures will drop. I don't want either of us to get sick. Just please hold onto me." "I will," Brooke responded as she took her hand and slowly skated forward, pulling Haley gently with her.

After a while, it seemed like Haley was getting the hang of it so Brooke decided to let Haley skate on her own for awhile. "Haley, I'm going to let go, okay? You're doing great. Just take it slow, alright," she encouraged her girlfriend as she finally took her hand from Haley's. "No, don't let go," Haley shrieked as she grabbed Brooke's arm. "Hales, you're gonna be fine. If it makes you feel better, I'll keep an eye on you and stay near okay," Brooke coaxed as she rubbed her back. "But what if I fall," she asked. "You won't, and if you do, I'll be close to catch you. If I don't catch you then I'll punish myself for letting you fall. Hmm, what would be a good punishment? How about no cuddle time for a week? Will that work?" "No," Haley pouted, "because if you do that then you're punishing me too because if I get hurt, I'll want to cuddle with you and want you to make me feel better." "Hmm, I'll have to think of something else...no sex for a week," Brooke mused. Haley gave her a little smirk, "Like that will last. Christmas is in two days, you know." "Yeah, so," Brooke inquired with a raised eyebrow. "Christmas lights, decorated tree, winter season...sitting in front of the warm fireplace on ChristmasEve... You mean you don't want to...you know... and since we aren't giving each other any presents, I thought..." Haley bit her lip in uncertainty.Brooke grinned as she started to skate backwards away from her, "We'll think of something we can do."

"Hey, come back here," Haley shouted as she carefully started to skate after her. "Nope, gotta catch me first," Brooke smiled and stuck her tongue out. Once Haley got close, Brooke skated to another spot and waited until shewas near her before moving again. "Stop that," Haley yelled as shebegan to chase after her. However, shegained speed as she slid across the smooth ice andshe began to panic as she felt herself start to lose her balance."Brooke," she screamed, frightened, "I'm gonna fall! I'm going too fast! How do I stop?I forgot how to stop!" "Use your pick!" Brooke shouted as she quickly began to skateto her from across the large pond. "Where is it," Haley yelled, looking down at herfeet to try and find what Brooke was talking about but the ice on the ground marred her vision of the blades. "Haley, don't look down! You'll-"It wastoo late, Haley had started to lean forward and she was dangerously close to falling. "Lift your headback up! Lean back!" Brooke shouted. She was still several feet away from Haley.

She straightened back up quickly, too quickly. Haley screamed as she once again lost her balance, beginning to fall. "Haley, cover your head with your arms," Brooke shrieked as she raced faster than ever before towards her girlfriend, panic coursing through every vein in her body. Falling backwards, Haley could hit her head on the ice and get a concussion or worse if she didn't protect her head. Haley's back hit the ice and she slid about a foot before she finally stopped. "Haley! Haley!" Brooke screamed as she finally reached her and slid to a stop, crouching down beside her, "Oh my god! Baby, are you okay? Please tell me you're okay! I'm so sorry, sweetie. I am never taking you skating again. Hales, please answer me." She gently tugged at Haley's arms and finally Haley pulled them away from her face. She was shuddering uncontrollably and tears were streaming down her cheeks. "Brooke," she let out a choked sob before wrapping her arms around her neck and pulling her tight against her body. Brooke curled her arms around Haley's waist and gave her a fierce hug in return, which elicited a whimper of pain from Haley's lips. Brooke quickly pulled away, her eyes wide with remorse, "Baby, I'm so sorry! Are you okay? Do I need to take you to the hospital? Of course you need to go to the hospital, you just fell on hard ice and your back obviously hurts…Does anything else hurt?" Brooke was more talking to herself now than she was to Haley, her eyes glazed over with shock.

"Brooke," Haley gently shook her to get her attention, "I'm okay, I don't need to go to the hospital. Only my back hurts and I think I bruised my tailbone. I'll ache for a couple days, but I'll live. There's nothing that a few Aleve or Tylenol won't help. I'll be fine, I promise. I was so scared…" She clutched Brooke to her again as she began to cry once more. "Sh...it's okay, baby. You're alright..." Brooke gently held her and rocked her back and forth. After a few minutes, Brooke carefully picked Haley up and carried her over to the bench on the side of the pond, "Let's get you out of those wretched skates." As she placed Haley on the bench in a sitting position, Haley whimpered in pain again, "Yep, definitely bruised the tailbone." "I'm so sorry, baby," Brooke nuzzled Haley's neck then placed a gentle kiss on her forehead as she shut her eyes and a few tears slipped through, "this is all my fault." "No, it's not your fault, Brooke," Haley responded as she rubbed her cheek. "Yes it is," she protested, "if I hadn't forced you to go skating, you wouldn't have fallen and gotten hurt..." "Sh...it's in the past. Let's just get these skates off me and go home so I can curl up in front of the fireplace and get warm because I'm freezing," Haley visibly shivered as she wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm. "Okay," Brooke replied, kissing her lips softly. She helped pull off the skates and put Haley's shoes back on, warding off her girlfriend's attempts to assist her for fear of Haley hurting herself even more. Once that was done, Brooke carefully picked her up again and carried her back to the apartment despite Haley's protests that she could walk.

When they got home, Brooke asked, "Where do you want to go? Bed or couch?" "We have more room in the bed," Haley smirked with a twinkle in her eye, "but then again, the couch is pretty comfortable and I like being as close to you as I can get." Haley giggled lightly as she kissed her sweetly on the lips. "Hales, you just got hurt, we're definitely not going to have sex," Brooke chided gently. Haley stuck out her lower lip in a pout but a smile still peeked at the corners of her lips, "But you've never denied me before." "Your health and well-being is more important to me than that," Brooke responded as she carefully laid Haley down on the couch and stroked her hair, "Do you need anything? A pillow or a blanket?" "No, just you," Haley smiled as shegently scooted over a little and patted the nowvacant space, "come lay down with me. Let's watch a movie." "What movie," she inquired as she went overto the DVD rack and scanned the titles.

"Something Christmasy..." Haley mused, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I love that movie. It's one of my all-time favoriteholiday movies." "Cartoon or the one with Jim Carrey," Brooke asked. "Cartoon," Haley responded. Brooke put the movie in then gingerly climbed onto the couch beside Haley and lay down before opening up her arms, "Come here." Haley slowly moved over and pressed her small frame against Brooke's. Once the movie started, Brooke lightly ran her hand over Haley's back then cautiously began to rub it, not wanting to hurt her further. Her back was still tender and a few tears slippeddown her cheekswhen sheshut her eyes. Brooke felt her hot tears on her skin andkissed her forehead, "I'm sorry." "It's over and done with, don't worry about it anymore," Haley whispered as she pushedsome hair away fromBrooke's face then smiled and kissed the tip of her nose, "let's watch the movie." Haley snuggled into Brooke's body, resting her head on Brooke's chest and Brooke gently wrapped her arms aroundHaley's waist as they focused their attention on the movie playingon the television.

Later that evening, Haley was reading on the couch when Brooke came and sat down beside her, handing her some Aleve and a glass of water, "Here, take these. They'll help your back." "Thanks," Haley replied as she took them from her and popped them in her mouth, downing them with a few gulps of water. "So Tutor Girlfriend, what do you want for dinner? I'll cook you anything you want," Brooke grinned. "Um, how about we order-in tonight? I would rather not have you start a fire and burn down the apartment when I'm immobile and wouldn't be able to get out fast enough," Haley joked, chuckling softly. "Hey," Brooke protested, lightly slapping her on the arm, "I would have carried you out and I am so glad you suggested take-out because I don't really feel like cooking anyway. I just still feel a little guilty for what happened earlier..." Brooke looked down, toying with thefringe of the old jeans Haley was wearing. "Sweetie, I told you to forget about that. I don't blame you, okay," Haley cupped Brooke's cheeks in her hands and stared into her eyes, "I don't blame you." "I know," Brooke sighed as she averted her gaze, "I just can't help but think that you could have gotten hurt so much worse and I pushed you to go skating when you told me more than once that you couldn't skate and that you were a klutz and I just keep thinking that ifI hadn't played hard to get, you wouldn't have chased after me and fallen..."

"Sh..." Haley whispered against herskin as she placed tiny kisses all over her face, "stop beating yourself up about it. I wanted to learn how to skate. I should have known better what with my tendency towards clumsiness. So, let's leave this behind us here and now, okay? No more guilt-trips." "Alright, no more guilt-trips," Brooke agreed as she stuck out her pinky finger and smiled. Haley hooked hers with Brooke's to seal the deal. "Where do you want to get food from? What kind do you feel like tonight," Brooke asked a few minutes later. "Mexican sounds pretty good. I could go for one of those chicken quesadillas from Ramiro's. They have the best enchiladas too. I'm getting hungrier just thinking about it," Haley rubbed her stomach in anticipation. "Okay, I'll go give them a call. Anything else you want," she inquired. "Nope, that's it," Haley replied then patted her leg, "now go order that food! I'm starving!" Brooke laughed as she got up from the couch, "I'm going, I'm going."

"Mmm, that was so good," Haley moaned in satisfaction as she took her last bite of the enchiladas she had ordered, "I love Ramiro's." "They do have great food," Brooke nodded in agreement then stood from the couch and began to clear their plates and boxes of food, taking them to the kitchen. "What do you want to do now," Brooke asked when she returned. Haley covered her mouth as she yawned, "I'm getting a little sleepy. Do you mind if I went to bed early or I could stay up with you if you want?" "No, that's okay. You need your rest," Brooke patted her leg and as Haley tried to get up she stopped her, "No, let me carry you." She carefully picked Haley up and started to carry her towards the bedroom. "I could get used to this," Haley giggled. "Well don't, because I'm not going to carry you around all the time. I'm not some pack horse," Brooke responded sarcastically as she gently dropped her on the bed.

Haley laughed but let out a soft cry of pain as she tried to pull her shirt off to change into her pajamas. "Wait, let me help you," Brooke responded as she grabbed some flannel pajama pants and a long-sleeved shirt from the dresser, "we have to dress warm tonight. The temperatures are going to drop again and we'll have more snow by morning." "Great, more snow and ice," Haley rolled her eyes, "you better turn the heat on or we'll get sick if we're freezing cold all night." "I will," Brooke replied, "now let me help you get these clothes off and get you into your jammies." Haley winced as she lifted her arms up, allowing Brooke to pull off her shirt. Once Brooke did so, she went behind Haley to unhook her bra and gasped in surprise at what she saw, "Oh my god!" "What," Haley asked, concerned. "You have bruises…on your back…from the fall," Brooke whispered, gingerly running her finger over them. Haley groaned, "Not this again. You promised you wouldn't beat yourself up about this. I'm okay, that's all that matters. So what if I have a few bruises, they'll heal. I knew I was bound to have some. That ice was really hard." Haley laughed at this. Brooke only frowned in response then whispered, "I'm sorry," as she gently kissed each one of her bruises, one big one on each shoulder blade and three smaller ones in miscellaneous places on her back.

"You going to kiss my tailbone and make it feel better too," Haley smirked. Brooke shook her head and smiled as she started to undo the button and zipper of Haley's jeans, pulling them down as she began a trail of kisses down her back to just above her panty-line. "The things I do for you," she murmured. Haley shivered at her gentle touch and the cold air swirling in the room. Brooke noticed this and replied as she sat back up, "Let's get you into some clothes." Haley let out a groan of disappointment as she grudgingly lifted her arms so Brooke could help slide her shirt on. Once Haley was fully dressed in her pajamas, she laid back in bed with her arms folded across her chest and a frown on her face. "Don't pout," Brooke smiled as she kissed her lips softly and slipped her hands under Haley's shirt, rubbing them up and down the sides of her body then tickling her lightly. Haley giggled as she squirmed a little bit then lifted her head and captured Brooke's lips with her own. Just as Brooke started to deepen the kiss, Haley pulled away. Brooke moaned and grumbled when she saw the big grin on her face, "Tease." Haley laughed softly, "Takes one to know one." "Ugh, you're impossible," Brooke huffed. "Right back at ya, babe," Haley smiled with a wink. "Love you Hales," Brooke yawned as she rolled off of her and tried to get comfortable, resting her head on Haley's chest. "Love you too, Brookie," Haley stroked her hair before closing her eyes and falling asleep herself.

The next morning, Brooke slowly opened her eyes to bright sunlight shining from the window. When she rolled over, she noticed with disappointment that Haley was not there. Brooke shivered as she slipped from beneath the warm cocoon of blankets and quickly searched for her slippers while she tied her robe around her waist. She yawned and stretched as she walked down the hallway to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. She stopped, however, when she got to the living room, finding Haley huddled up in blankets asleep on the couch. Brooke wondered why Haley was sleeping on the couch when she could have been sleeping in the warm bed with her. Concerned, Brooked walked over and crouched down in front of her, placing her hand gently on Haley's arm. "Hales? Sweetie, why are you sleeping out here on the couch? Did I hog the covers again," she laughed softly. Haley groaned as she stirred from her slumber and peeked one eye open. "Good morning sleepyhead," Brooke smiled as she stroked Haley's hair, "why are you out here instead of in bed with me?"

"I told you one of us would get sick," Haley responded, sounding congested as she let out a series of short coughs, "We stayed too long outside yesterday or maybe it was because you forgot to turn on the heat last night." Brooke's eyes widened as she realized that she hadn't in fact turned on the heat. She had been too preoccupied with Haley and it had just gone in one ear and out the other. How could she have been so stupid to not turn the heat on? Now her girlfriend was sick and it was all her fault. Brooke pouted as she lowered her head in shame, "I'm sorry." "Don't worry about it. I'll get over it in a couple days," Haley responded, rubbing her shoulder for comfort. "Do you need anything? Something to eat or drink? Tissues, more blankets," Brooke asked, wanting to help her get better in any way she possibly could. "Please don't cook anything," Haley laughed, "I could use a back rub though." "But I don't want to hurt you," Brooke bit her lip in uncertainty. "You did a pretty good job last night," Haley smiled with a little chuckle, "besides, if you do hurt me, you'll certainly know it." Brooke laughed too and instructed Haley to turn over. She started out just gently running her fingers over Haley's back then began to gingerly rub it and Haley moaned softly in satisfaction. "I love your backrubs. You're so good. You should become a masseuse," Haley responded. "Nah, backrubs are only reserved for you," Brooke smiled as she leaned down and kissed Haley's cheek. "Brooke, could you get me a glass of water," Haley requested once Brooke was done, "my mouth is dry and cottony." "Sure," Brooke replied as she stroked her hair, "do you want anything to eat? Do you think you can keep it down?" "I haven't been throwing up but my stomach's been a little queasy. Maybe something light just in case. Toast and jelly would be okay I think," she replied as she pulled the blankets back up over her body. "Alright, I'll be back in a few minutes," Brooke said as she stood from the couch and walked to the kitchen.

Once Haley was done eating, they watched their favorite movie together and then started in on one of Haley's favorites, Raise Your Voice, until her eyes started to droop closed. Brooke turned off the television and kissed her forehead, "Tired?" "A little," Haley mumbled in response as she leaned her head on Brooke's shoulder. "Do you want to go sleep in the bedroom? It's probably more comfortable than this couch," Brooke replied. "I love this couch; it's so comfy," Haley yawned, "Maybe I'll just sleep out here from now on." "Don't you dare," Brooke responded with a fake glare, "I need you next to me when I sleep." "You could always take the floor," Haley grinned. "Or we could compromise like we did at Jake's that one night we stayed over and I can lay on top of you," Brooke laughed and slightly stuck out her tongue. "Please, my breathing is bad enough with all this congestion. With you lying on my lungs, I'd probably suffocate." "Hey," Brooke protested, slapping her arm. "Ow! Don't injure the sick person! Oh wait, you've already done that," Haley laughed but Brooke frowned and lowered her head to which Haley immediately sobered up and softened her voice, "Too early to joke about it, huh?" "Yeah," Brooke replied as she started to get up.

"Wait," Haley reached up and grabbed her hand, "come lay down with me." "I'm not tired," Brooke responded. "Please," Haley pouted with her lower lip sticking out. "Fine, I'll stay with you, but I'll just sit and watch you while you sleep," Brooke gave her a small smile as she positioned herself back on the couch, with Haley's head resting in her lap. "Now if that ain't creepy and stalker-ish, I don't know what is," Haley grinned, chuckling. "Ain't isn't a word, Hales, you of all people should know that," Brooke smirked, "it's isn't. Besides, I like watching you when you sleep. You look so adorable." "I could say the same for you," Haley giggled, "because your open mouth, loud snoring, and you drooling all over yourself just says 'adorable'." "Aaargh," Brooke let out a frustrated groan, "you're running on very thin ice, my dear." Now Haley groaned, "Please don't mention ice. I'll just ignore you and go to sleep now. Night-night." "Get some rest," Brooke responded as she placed a soft kiss on her forehead and leaned against the back of the couch.

For several minutes, Brooke just sat there silently, unmoving, as she watched the gentle rise and fall of Haley's chest and the serene smile that spread across her face. There was nothing more incredible or peaceful than watching her beautiful girlfriend sleep. She softly ran a finger over her cheek, tracing the curves down to her jaw line, careful not to wake her. Brooke gingerly entwined their fingers and stared at their locked hands. It was so amazing how well their hands fit together, like they were made for each other. They were soul mates; that she knew for sure. Nothing she had ever had with any other guy could ever amount to this. No guy made her feel the way she did about Haley, not even Lucas. She was deeply, hopelessly in love. She couldn't imagine life without her Hales. Life just wouldn't be worth living without her. Brooke gently stroked some hair away that had fallen in Haley's face and lightly kissed her forehead again.

A little while later, Brooke got thirsty so she leaned forward to grab her bottle of water off of the coffee table, but suddenly she recoiled back with a gasp of surprise when she felt a sharp pain on the left side of her chest. "Ow," Brooke exclaimed. She heard light giggling and looked down to see Haley staring back up at her with a huge grin on her face. "You just bit my boob, didn't you," Brooke questioned with a little glare. Haley feigned innocence with her big brown eyes and lower lip prominently sticking out, "Your boobs were in my face and I was trying to sleep. You wouldn't want me to suffocate, would you?" "Well…if it'll get you to shut up…" Brooke grinned and laughed, sticking out her tongue. Haley slapped her on the shoulder as she pouted then crossed her arms over her chest, "That was mean. There are other ways of shutting me up, you know." By now Haley was smirking as her gaze darted from Brooke's lips to looking into her eyes then back again. "Now normally I would do that, but since you're sick and I don't want to get sick either, I'm refraining from kissing you until you get better," Brooke responded with a chuckle. "Not true. You've been kissing me all day," she pouted again. "Yeah, but I haven't kissed you on the lips at all today," Brooke chuckled. "You make me sad. Fine, if you won't kiss me, then I'll just go somewhere else where I'm wanted," Haley replied with indignation as she started to get up off the couch.

"Oh no you don't," Brooked responded as she grabbed Haley's hand and pulled her back down, "you're not going anywhere. You need to rest so you can get better for tomorrow. I want to be able to kiss you under the mistletoe," Brooke grinned as she pointed to some mistletoe hanging from the ceiling by the fireplace. "Fine," Haley sighed dramatically as she stood up again, this time dragging her piles of blankets and pillows with her, "but I'm going to go finish my nap in the bedroom." "Okay, get some sleep. I'll come check on you in a while." "Yeah, yeah, whatever," Haley mumbled as she walked down the hallway towards the bedroom and shut the door.

A little while after Haley had retreated to the bedroom, Brooke picked up the phone and dialed a familiar number. "Hello," a voice answered. "Hey Karen, it's Brooke. I have a big favor to ask of you," she replied. "Okay, what is it," she asked. "Haley's sick and I know she loves your chicken soup and Haley has forbidden me from using the kitchen, so I wanted to ask you if you could make some for her," she bit her lip in uncertainty, hoping Karen would do it. She most likely would; Haley was like a daughter to her after all. "Sure, Lucas caught a cold too so I made some for him. Come on over and I'll make up a bowl for you," Karen replied with a smile. "Okay, thanks so much Karen, you're a life saver." Once Brooke was sure that Haley had fallen back asleep again, she quietly slipped out of the apartment and made her way to Lucas' house.

Brooke knocked on the front door and waited for Karen to answer the door. However, Lucas opened the door and she chuckled at his appearance with his disheveled hair, squinty eyes, and wrinkled clothing. "You look like shit," Brooke responded, failing to suppress her giggles. "Gee, thanks Brooke. Hello to you too," he responded sarcastically as he opened the door wider to let her in. Karen appeared from the hallway, drying her hands on a dishtowel, "Hey Brooke. Lucas, I told you to stay in bed. You're sick and you need to rest to get better. Now go back to your room and take a nap or something." Lucas grumbled as he started walking back towards his bedroom, "You're lucky you have your own apartment. What am I, four years old?" Brooke laughed at this then turned to the older woman, "Thanks for doing this, Karen. I really appreciate it." "No problem, Haley's like a daughter to me. How is she doing," Karen asked as she got out a large plastic bowl and began to pour some soup into it. "She's doing better I think. Haley was congested and stuffy and coughing this morning, but she hasn't been coughing as much lately since I gave her some medicine. She said she had a queasy stomach, but she was able to keep some toast and jelly down so I thought I'd give her some of this to help make her feel better," Brooke responded.

"That's really sweet of you Brooke. I'm glad Haley has found someone to take care of her. She's had to grow up so fast with her parents gone and then Ryan's death and she's just never really taken the time to slow down. She's always running herself ragged. It's no wonder she got sick," Karen replied sympathetically. "Well, it's kind of my fault she got sick. We stayed outside in the snow for too long yesterday and I forgot to turn on the heat last night so I'm trying to make it up to her," Brooke gave her a small smile. "Well then this soup will definitely make her happy and feel better. She loves it," Karen returned the smile as she closed the top over the bowl and handed it over to her. "I know, that's why I asked if you could make some. Thanks again for this, Karen," Brooke replied as she started to walk out of the kitchen, "I'll call you later and tell you how Haley's doing." "Okay honey, talk to you later," Karen called out.

Just as Brooke opened the front door to leave, Lucas came out and placed a hand on her arm, "Brooke wait." "Shouldn't you be taking a little nappy-poo," Brooke replied in a cooing tone as if she were talking to a small child. Lucas rolled his eyes, "I wanted to give you something. Haley wrapped some of her presents here and she forgot to take this one with her. It's for you. And don't open it until tomorrow. By now I bet you know how crazy Haley gets around Christmastime. So unless you want to subject yourself to the wrath of Haley, I'd wait until morning to open it." "Oh yeah, I know," Brooke laughed at his words then gave him a hug, "Merry Christmas, Luke." "You too," he responded as he returned the embrace. "Well, I better get going. Haley might wake up soon and I don't want her to be alone when she does so I'll see you later, okay," Brooke replied as she pulled away. "Yeah, we should all get together after Christmas and plan something for New Year's," Lucas said as he opened the door for her. "Definitely," Brooke winked before heading out of the house.

Thankfully, Haley was still asleep when she arrived home so it gave her some time to prepare the food. She arranged a little bed tray with a bowl of the soup with some crackers and a glass of water to drink. Carefully she carried in to the bedroom and placed it on the nightstand beside Haley's side of the bed then sat down next to her, gently pushing some hair away from her face. "Hales, wake up sweetie," she whispered close to her ear as she caressed her cheek with her thumb. "Mmm," Haley moaned sleepily as she started to stir, slowly opening one eye. "Hey there, sleepyhead. How are you feeling," Brooke asked as she placed her hand on Haley's forehead to feel if she was still warm. It seemed that her temperature had gone down a little bit and for that she was glad. She hated seeing her girl so sick. "I feel a little better. I think all the sleeping has helped. I still feel kind of icky though," Haley responded as she yawned and stretched.

"Well, I brought you something that I think will make you feel better," Brooke smiled as she pulled the tray from the nightstand and set it beside Haley. "Chicken soup? Did you make this," Haley asked as she carefully moved to a sitting position and placed the tray over her lap. "What, and make you even more sick with food poisoning? I think not. No, I know you love Karen's chicken soup so I had her make you some so you would feel better," Brooke replied as she stroked Haley's cheek. "Aw, that's so sweet of you Brooke. Thank you for this, I really appreciate all you do for me. You're so good to me, Brooke," Haley responded as she gently squeezed her hand. "No problem, anything for my girl," Brooke smiled as she patted Haley's leg. Haley gave her a silly grin, loving the way Brooke called her 'my girl'.

They sat in a companionable silence as Haley ate, Brooke just content being near her girlfriend. Once she was done, Brooke cleared the tray and cleaned up the dishes, putting them in the dishwasher before returning to the bedroom. She offered out her hand to Haley, "Come with me." Haley took it and Brooke helped pull her up to her feet then grabbed a blanket from the bed as she led Haley out into the living room. "You go get comfy on the couch," Brooke instructed as she handed the blanket to Haley and gestured her to go sit. While Haley got situated, Brooke went over to their Christmas tree and bent down. She fished around for something for a few seconds the finally found what she was looking for and flipped a switch. Immediately the tree lit up with an array of colors and Haley gasped at the sight, "Oh Brooke, it's beautiful!" Brooke started a fire in the fireplace then finally returned to the couch, snuggling up to her girlfriend and pulling Haley onto her lap as she took the remote and turned on the television, changing the channel to a Christmas movie. "It's A Wonderful Life," Haley questioned as she looked up at Brooke. "It sure is," Brooke grinned as she kissed the top of Haley's head.

"Brookie…wake up, baby. It's Christmas," Haley said in a soft, sing-song voice as she cuddled close to her girlfriend and placed light kisses all over her face. Brooke groaned and rolled over, facing away from Haley, "Go back to sleep Hales, it's too damn early in the morning to be awake." "But Tigger, it's Christmas," she exclaimed, moving to a sitting position then bouncing on the bed, "We get to open presents!" Brooke let out another groan, "There's no shutting you up, is there?" "Nope! Now come on, I'll make breakfast and we can eat then we'll open presents," Haley clapped loudly and Brooke covered her ears at the harsh sound pounding in her half-asleep brain. "Fine, fine, I'll get up," she grumbled as she pushed back the covers and sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Yay," Haley shrieked as she bounced off the bed. "Hales, lower down the voice," Brooke responded gesturing with her hand while she rubbed her forehead with the other, "Gee, looks like you're feeling better." "Yep, Karen's chicken soup is a miracle worker, I'll tell you," Haley responded with a grin, "Thanks again for getting that for me. And now that I'm not sick anymore, you can kiss me all you want, wherever you want…" Haley smirked as she leaned down and placed a soft tantalizing kiss on Brooke's lips and just as Brooke started to deepen the kiss, she pulled away, running out of the room. "Tease," Brooke yelled after her before gathering some clothes and a towel to take a shower.

Once Haley and Brooke finished eating breakfast, to which Haley cooked a delicious meal of pancakes, bacon, sausage, and eggs, Haley sat down on the couch while Brooke distributed the presents into a pile at their feet. Brooke plopped back onto the couch with a sigh. "You go first," Haley responded. "No, you go. You're the one who got me up insanely early to do this thing," Brooke grumbled, laying her head on Haley's shoulder. "How come you're not excited," Haley pouted, "it's our first Christmas together and you're being a grinch." "I'm sorry," Brooke responded as she kissed Haley's bottom lip, "I'm just not fully awake yet. I'm not used to being up this early in the morning, especially on a weekend. Now open your presents. I know how long you've been waiting to open them" "Okay," Haley responded as she leaned over and grabbed a present, slowly beginning to unfold the paper without tearing it. "Oh come on Hales, you're supposed to rip it open," Brooke replied, "Who's it from?" "Oh, I forgot to read the card," Haley responded as she picked up the envelope and tore it open then read the card before reading it aloud, "Haley, I know I'll probably regret giving you this, but I know you love it. Just please don't make me watch it every time we have a movie night. Merry Christmas, Hales. Love, Luke." "Ooh, I wonder what he got you. Obviously it's a movie," Brooke responded as she watched Haley open the gift.

"The Notebook! Yes! I love this movie! Oh boy, Lucas is really going to regret giving me this," Haley chuckled as she read the back of the case then set it aside and looked up at Brooke, "okay, you open one now." Brooke grabbed a present and looked to see who it was from." It's from Peyton," Brooke smiled, "and I know what this is." "What? How do you know what's in there," Haley questioned. "It's a tradition of ours since we were in middle school. One year we each got a charm bracelet and we vowed the every year at Christmas we would get each other two charms to put on our bracelets," Brooke chuckled softly as she opened the present and looked at the two charms Peyton had picked out for her, "We're so alike sometimes that it's scary." "What charms did she get you," Haley asked as she peered over Brooke's shoulder. "One of them has a heart on it and the other has an 'H' on it, for Haley," Brooke shook her head in amazement, "and I got her the exact same heart charm but the other one was an 'L' for Lucas." "Aw, that's sweet," Haley smiled as she kissed Brooke's cheek and rubbed her back.

"Your turn again," Brooke replied. Haley grabbed another present and read the card, "Brooke and Haley, this is for both of you so open it together. Have a wild Merry Christmas! wink - Nathan." "Uh oh, I think we should be worried about what's in here," Haley stated with a scared expression on her face but also laughter in her eyes. Cautiously, they unwrapped it and opened the box…Both turned a bright shade of red, more so Haley than Brooke, as they stared at the contents. "W-Whipped cream and h-hot fudge," Haley stuttered in complete shock then froze as Brooke held something up, "What the hell are those?" "They're-They're edible bra and p-panties," Brooke could barely control her laughter as she doubled over, "t-there's two of them. One for each of us…" "Oh Nathan is SO DEAD," Haley remarked as she quickly put the can of whipped cream and bottle of hot fudge back in the box. Brooke laughed then grabbed another of her presents, "Ooh, this one's from Lucas. I wonder what he got me." Once Brooke opened the box, she found a note inside. "Brooke, found this while I was doing some cleaning in my room a little bit ago. Thought you might like it back. Maybe you could use it. Don't worry, I washed it before I wrapped it. – Lucas," Brooke read aloud, "What in the hell…"

Her eyes grew wide as she pulled out a silky piece of lingerie that fell an inch or two above the knee. It was black and lacy, just the way Brooke liked. Haley groaned and buried her face in her hands, "Oh my god, I am going to kill Lucas. I told him not to get you lingerie." "What? I've been looking for this forever. I must have left it at Lucas' house back when I was dating him. I can't believe he just found it now. Here, look at it Hales," Brooke said as she tossed the garment over to her. "Ew," Haley shrieked, "I'm not touching that! Brooke, you dated him over six months ago! There's no telling where that thing's been." "He said he washed it," Brooke responded and laughed at the look of disgust on her girlfriend's face, "Chill Hales, I'm just kidding. It's brand new. See the tag?" She showed her for reassurance and Haley calmed down slightly. "Who's that one from," Brooke asked as Haley grabbed a present from the pile again. "Peyton," Haley responded as she tore open the paper.

"Now that's more like it," Brooke chuckled, "What is it?" Haley's eyes grew wide, "It-It's three tickets to a Fall Out Boy concert. They're almost front row seats. I can't believe she got them this close." Brooke laughed, "Trust Peyton to use her music connections…" "There's a note," Haley responded, "Haley, I know how much you love Fall Out Boy so I got you these tickets. I bet you're wondering why there's three. Well, there's one for you, Brooke, and one for your bestest bud in the whole wide world. And let me give you a hint. Their name isn't Lucas. Merry Christmas, Hales. Love, Peyton." "When and where is the concert," Brooke questioned. "They're performing in Charleston on January 17th," Haley replied as she inspected the tickets. "This is going to be awesome! Us three girls with a night out on the town. Oh, we're going to have so much fun," Brooke clapped her hands in excitement.

Lucas carefully placed a large box near the tree and then went to retrieve a few more presents from his truck. As he placed the last box on the floor, he nearly jumped three feet in the air at her voice. "Luke, what are you doing here? It's 8:30 in the morning," Peyton yawned as she rubbed her eyes. "What do you think I'm doing here? It's Christmas and I came to spend it with my girlfriend," he smiled as he walked over to her and wrapped her in a warm embrace, "Come on, let's open presents." He led her to the couch and when she went to grab for a small box, he took it from her. "Wait, don't open that yet. Open another one." "Okay," Peyton responded slowly, wondering why he was making her wait. What did that boyfriend of hers have up his sleeve? Peyton grabbed another one and asked sarcastically, "Can I open this one?" "By all means, go ahead," he grinned. She opened the card and her eyebrows crinkled in confusion as she read it. '_Don't give up hope… Love, Hales.' _She then tore the wrapping paper off and her eyes immediately filled with tears. "Peyt, what's wrong," Lucas asked concernedly, placing his hand on her back and rubbing in soothing circles. "I-It's my mother's perfume…Haley found it… I-I thought it wasn't being sold anymore…" She hugged the bottle to her chest as she cried.

A few minutes later, Peyton exclaimed in shock, pointing a shaking finger towards the big box, "Lucas, I swear to god I just saw that box move! What the hell is in it?" "What? You're just seeing things. Now open this present," he smiled as he gave her the small box he had taken from her before. She cautiously opened the small box and found a pink metal heart with a key ring attached to it. Peyton looked up to him in confusion, "Luke?" Before he could answer, there was a sharp yelp and the large box fell to its side, the lid coming off and a small puppy tumbled out. It sat there for a few seconds then shook its head and sneezed. Peyton stared in wide-eyed shock at the puppy before turning her gaze to her boyfriend. "Surprise…" Luke whispered as he chuckled softly. "You-You got me a dog," Peyton questioned, still in a daze. Lucas went to go pick the puppy up before it could do any damage and returned to the couch, setting it in his lap. He stroked the pup's head a few times before bringing his gaze back up to his girlfriend. "Why did you get me a dog," she inquired, still confused as she stared at the small animal.

Lucas took one of her hands into his own while he held onto the pup with his other one and stared into her eyes, "Peyt, I love you, you know that right?" She nodded and he continued, "I know you want children someday, we both do. Last month when we thought we were pregnant and then found out that we weren't, I felt something inside of me die and I know you did too. I want a baby so much, Peyt, but we're only teenagers; we're not ready for a for that yet. So, I thought that maybe…we could get a puppy and it could be our baby…at least for now, until we're ready to have one of our own." Peyton gazed at him for several moments, tears in her eyes, then she leaned forward and pulled him into a tight embrace. The puppy whined between them and Peyton quickly pulled back, "Oh my god, did I hurt him?" Lucas laughed, "No, and it's a girl. Her name is Madison. The person at the humane society said she's half West Highland White Terrier and half Shih Tzu so she'll stay small, not much bigger than this." "She's adorable," Peyton smiled as she gently offered her fingers to the pup and she licked them furiously before moving up to the palm of her hand, causing her to laugh softly, "Maddie."

Now done opening all their presents from their friends, Haley leaned back against the couch as she closed her eyes and laughed, "Oh, what lovely friends we have." Brooke chuckled along with her as she stared at the boxes of lingerie and other stuff, which consisted of what Brooke called 'sexy toys'. "Remind me to never again receive a present from Tim," Brooke groaned as she leaned her head back too. He was the one that had given them the box of 'sexy toys', including the pair of hand cuffs, no doubt from one of the times he'd gone to a stripper bar or hired one. It didn't matter anyway, the box was going straight to the dumpster as soon as Monday morning trash pick-up came around. "Noted," Haley responded with a sigh. "I'll be right back," Brooke replied, patting her leg as she stood from the couch and left the living room only to return a few minutes later, a smallwrapped box in hand. "Now, I know we said that we wouldn't get each other anything, but it's our firstChristmas together and I wanted to give you something special," Brooke smiled as she handed the box to her girlfriend. Haley smiled as she kissed Brooke'slips softly then carefully, slowly, started to untie the ribbon on the box then began to peel off the paper. Brooke waited on baited breath in anticipation and fear because she really hoped that Haley liked her present.

Haley finally got all the wrapping paper off and revealed to her was a small velvet box. The breath caught in her throat as she slowly started to pry the lid open. Brooke bit her lip and held her breath as Haley opened the lid of the box. Haley gasped in astonishment at the beautiful ring resting inside of it. Tears welled in her eyes as she stared at it. It was a gorgeous ring made of white gold or silver with five stones on it; three were a purple amethyst and the other two were of a light blue color, resembling what Lucas had called tanzanite. The three amethyst stones were separated from the other two tanzanite ones by a wavy barrier, giving it that simple yet elegant fashion. The tears were cascading down her cheeks in waterfalls now as she lifted her head to gaze up at her wonderful girlfriend. "Do you like it," Brooke asked softly. She could not tell from Haley's expression whether she liked it or not. "I-I love it. It-It's beautiful," Haley stuttered, her voice choked with emotion, as she stared down at the ring then gazed up at her, a smile spreading across her face. Brooke gently took the box from her and pulled the ring from it then stared into Haley's soft brown doe eyes.

"It's a promise ring," Brooke stated softly as she took Haley's left hand into her own, "I, Brooke Davis, promise to love you with all that I have and all that I am. I promise to take care of you and I promise that I will always be faithful to you. You are the only one for me, Haley James, and I can't imagine anyone else by my side for the rest of my life." If it were possible, it seemed that Haley was crying even more than she was before. "Look inside the ring, on the band," Brooke instructed as she placed the ring in the palm of Haley's hand. Haley wiped her eyes then brought the ring close to her face, searching for what Brooke asked. She smiled and got teary again as she read the inscription, _'Hales, I love you. Always and forever. – B' _Haley sniffled as she lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Brooke's neck, murmuring in a soft voice, "I love you…" Brooke pulled her tight to her body, curling her arms around Haley's waist and kissing her cheek then nuzzling her neck. Once they pulled away, Brooke took the ring from Haley and gently slid it onto her left ring finger, sealing her promise with a tender kiss on Haley's lips.

"I have something for you too," Haley smiled as she got up from the couch then returned a few minutes later, "it's not as amazing as the present you gave me, but I hope you like it." "I'll love anything you give me," Brooke grinned as she took the gift Haley offered to her. Anxiously, Brooke ripped the paper off and underneath it was a long narrow box. She quickly tried to pry the lid open with its heavy hinges and gasped when she saw what was inside. It was a beautiful silver heart-shaped locket with palm trees and waves crashing against a beach. There was also a letter engraved into the cover, 'B'. "Aww, Hales, I love it," Brooke squealed in admiration. "Open it," Haley smiled. Brooke did as told and laughed when she saw what was inside. One the left side was a picture of the two of them. It had been taken one day when they were hanging out with Peyton and she had deemed the display of affection a 'Kodak moment' so she had taken a picture of them. The right side made her eyes well with tears of happiness. There was a little engraving that said, _'B, I love you. Forever and always. – Hales.' _Brooke laughed after she had read it, "I guess great minds think alike." "Mhmm," Haley agreed as she took the necklace from her and gestured for her to turn around so she could put it on.

Once Haley secured the necklace on her, Brooke remembered something and got up, walking over to where her coat lay on the back of an armchair, "Wait, you forgot something." "I did," Haley questioned with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah, I forgot to open this present from you. I wonder what it is," Brooke grinned as she gently shook the box. "Brooke, I-" Haley tried to interrupt, but before she was able to finish her sentence, Brooke had torn off the wrapping paper and opened the box. "Oh my god," Brooke whispered in astonishment. "What," Haley asked in confusion, standing up because she was not able to see the contents of the gift. Haley let out a gasp of absolute shock when she saw what was inside. It was the bracelet she had wanted to get Brooke from Zales. "Huh," Brooke mumbled in confusion as she handed Haley a small piece of paper, "here Hales, this is for you." Haley unfolded the small sheet and read it as tears formed in her eyes, _'Haley, I know how much you wanted this for Brooke so I got it for you to give to her. You don't have to pay me back for it. Being my best friend for all these years and the years to come is payment enough. Merry Christmas, Hales. – Luke.' _She tucked the piece of paper in her pocket before Brooke could ask her about it and smiled as her girlfriend admired the bracelet, "Here, let me put it on you."

After Haley fastened the bracelet around Brooke's wrist, Brooke leaned forward and wrapped her arms tightly around Haley's waist, kissing her passionately on the lips as she pulled Haley as close to her as she could get. Haley moaned as Brooke began a trail of kisses down her neck, starting to unbutton her top, "Oh, that feels so good…" Brooke chuckled as she slipped the shirt over her shoulders and down her arms, tossing it to the floor as it came free from her hands. "Let's-Let's continue this in the bedroom…" Haley whispered breathlessly as Brooke's lips traveled down her chest. Brooke nodded in agreement then hoisted Haley into her arms, Haley wrapping her legs around Brooke's waist as they made their way blindly to the bedroom, placing kisses all over each other. Brooke kicked the door closed and gently laid Haley on the bed, crawling on top of her. Haley moaned again as Brooke started to unhook her bra, but then Brooke stopped, much to Haley's confusion. "Wait, where's the whipped cream and hot fudge?"

**Author's note: **I know cheesy ending but I couldn't help it. I love mushy Baley lol. Just wanted to let you guys know that I appreciate your waiting for this story to update. Also, drama ahead! Be prepared! ITPOAA won't be nice for awhile!


	31. Chapter 31

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! I know it has been a VERY LONG while since you've seen an update to this story…Good news! I'm finally back with a brand spanking new chapter! Sorry it has taken so long to finish it and get it up for you guys to read. School has just been hectic and I was working all day during the summer so I didn't have a lot of time to write and I was struggling with how to write parts of this chapter since something major happens and it will set us up for a majority of the remaining parts of the story. I don't really have much else to say right now. My brain is still half-asleep because it's still early here. Well, I hope you like the chapter! It's LONG! Please don't hate me after you read it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the CW.

**Rating: **K+ to T, with some parts M or MA for sexual content.

**In the Presence of An Angel **

**Chapter 31 **

"You got me a blow up doll," Nathan shrieked into the phone. "Nathan, jeez, lower your voice. I can hear you all the way from your apartment across the hall," Haley replied, chuckling. "You got me a blow up doll," Nathan repeated, this time in a more normal tone. "Well, I heard that you popped your other one so I decided to get you a new one," Haley was near ready to burst into giggles. "You do know that I have a girlfriend, right? And she wouldn't appreciate a plastic bimbo filled with hot air lying around her boyfriend's apartment," Nathan responded. "Hey, what you do in your own apartment is your business. Besides, you could always stash her in the closet," Haley giggled again. "Or I could just give it to Tim. God knows he needs it more than me," Nathan chuckled. "True," Haley amended with a laugh.

"So, did you like my present," Nathan grinned. Haley rolled her eyes, "We put the hot fudge and whipped cream to good use…for ice cream!" Nathan pouted, "Aw, you disappoint me, Hales, those weren't supposed to be used for ice cream." "I know, I kind of got that when Brooke pulled out the edible bra and panties, which might I add you are SO dead for," Haley warned with a low tone. "What, I thought it was a nice touch," Nathan chuckled. "Hey, we may be a little…adventurous, but not kinky…" Haley responded, "well, maybe Brooke is…" "Hey, I heard that," Brooke yelled from the kitchen. "Oh my god, is Haley James admitting she is into kinky sex? Maybe I should have gotten you some bondage stuff and a whip too-" "NATHAN DANIEL SCOTT!" Haley shouted into the phone. "I hate it when you use my middle name," he groaned, rubbing his ear. "I think Tim already took care of the bondage stuff, Nate," Brooke replied with a laugh, joining in on the conversation with the phone in the kitchen.

"Brooke," Haley shrieked. "Ooh, what'd he get you," Nathan asked interestedly. "Nathan," Haley yelled again, "Ugh, you two are impossible. You both are like two peas in a pod. You're a match made in heaven. I'm getting off the phone now so you two can go have some sort of kinky phone sex or something. Oh god, shutting up now. Bye." Haley was blushing a fierce red as she hung up the portable phone in the living room and Brooke walked over to her, still on the phone with Nathan. "Sorry Hales, there's only one little sex kitten for me and their name isn't Nathan Scott," Brooke grinned as she noisily kissed Haley all over her cheeks. "Eww! Okay, hanging up now," Nathan shouted. "Meow," Haley giggled as she pecked Brooke on the nose then captured her lips with her own.

It was not long after when the phone rang again, interrupting Brooke and Haley's make out session on the couch. Brooke groaned as she pulled away from Haley to catch her breath, "God, can't we ever get a minute alone!" "Apparently not," Haley kissed her shoulder then grabbed for the phone, putting it to her ear, "Hello?" "Haley, oh my god! You and Brooke have got to come over here and see what Lucas got me for Christmas," Peyton exclaimed happily. "What? What did he get you," Haley asked in excitement. "You have to come over and see for yourself," Peyton replied giddily. "Okay, we'll be over there in a few minutes," Haley responded before saying goodbye to her friend. "What did Lucas get her," Brooke asked with a yawn. "I don't know. She wants us to come see so get up and dress warm. I've already been sick and I can tell you that it's not fun so bundle up good," Haley instructed as she got up off the couch. "Yes mother," Brooke rolled her eyes and Haley pointed a finger at her. As Haley walked off towards the bedroom, she mumbled to herself, "I wonder if Lucas changed his mind about proposing…" However, Brooke heard her and raced after her, grabbing her arm, "What? Lucas was going to propose? He changed his mind? What are you talking about?" "Oops, that was supposed to be a secret," Haley cringed.

"Oh, you have to tell me now," Brooke responded with both a serious face and excitement sparkling within her brown eyes. Haley groaned, "Lucas is going to kill me. Promise me that you won't tell anyone about this, okay?" "My lips are sealed," Brooke smiled. "Okay, Lucas told me that he's been looking at some engagement rings and that he's thought about proposing to her, but he was going to wait until after they graduated to propose to her. With the way Peyton was reacting about her Christmas present, I was thinking that maybe Lucas had changed his mind about proposing and decided to do it at Christmas. Brooke, you have to understand, Peyton cannot find out about this. Lucas will kill me if he finds out I told you," Haley warned, pointing a finger at her. "Well, I should know these things. Peyton is my best friend," Brooke responded. "He's just afraid that you'll let something slip and she'll find out," Haley replied with a concerned expression. "I promise I won't tell," Brooke gently kissed her lips before bouncing off to the bedroom to get dressed.

"Okay, we're here," Brooke announced as she and Haley walked through Peyton's front door, "Let me see the present!" Just as they reached the living room, Brooke stopped short when a little puppy came running towards her and jumped on her leg, begging for attention while she let out a series of light barks. Brooke's eyes widened in surprise, "You got a dog?" "I know! Isn't she so cute? Her name's Madison, but I'm going to call her Maddie for short. I just love her," Peyton grinned as she bent down to pick up the puppy and hugged her close to her face, nuzzling the pup's soft fur. "Aww, she's adorable," Haley remarked as she stroked Maddie's head with a few fingers and the pup licked them in return. "Don't let Haley near that dog, it might chase after her. I believe I remember Brooke saying something about a kitten…" Nathan laughed as he entered the house. "Nathan," Haley shrieked as she slapped him in the back of the head then punched his arm hard, "and that was for you know what!" "Gee, the gang's all here," Jake smiled as he too entered Peyton's house, Jenny resting comfortably in her stroller.

"Hey Jake," Brooke greeted him with a hug. "Can I hold her," both Haley and Brooke asked then looked at each other and burst out laughing. "I meant the dog," Haley responded, chuckling as she looked to Peyton. She nodded her consent and handed Maddie over. "I meant this little cutie over here," Brooke cooed as she picked Jenny up from her stroller and placed her on her hip then pointed to Maddie, "Look at the doggy Jenny. Isn't she pretty? Can you say doggy, Jenny? Doggy?" "Dog-gy," Jenny tried sounding out the words then laughed, clapping her small hands together then reached out to touch the puppy, "doggy!" "Good girl, Jen," Haley exclaimed, "Hey Brooke, why don't you and Jenny play with Maddie on the floor? Is that okay, Jake?" "Sure," he replied. "Lucas, can I talk to you for a minute," Haley asked, looking up at him with teary eyes. "Yeah, come on, let's go in the kitchen and get some food for everyone," he replied as he placed his hand on her back and guided her to the kitchen.

As soon as they entered, Haley turned around and wrapped him in a tight hug, "Thank you. You don't know how much it means to me what you did. I don't care if you don't want me to, I'm paying you back every cent for that bracelet. I was so upset when I went back to the store and found out that they didn't have anymore and then I find out that you bought it for me…I love you so much, Lucas. Thank you." Haley rested her head against his chest. "Your welcome, Hales. It's a good thing you're paying me back though; got to save up for that ring," he grinned with a wink, "graduation is only about five or six months away." Haley groaned, "Doesn't it suck that our last year of high school we have to spend an extra three weeks there? We don't graduate until almost the end of June!" "Yeah, it sucks, but at least we will all be with each other for a little while longer before we all go off on our separate ways," Lucas responded. Haley pouted, "You sound like we're all never going to see each other again after high school, like one of those clichés that you lose touch with all your friends once you graduate and go off to college. Don't leave me." She hugged him tighter to her body. "Aw Hales, we aren't going to be like that. Our group is so close, I know we will stick together and keep in touch after we go off to college. We may be far away, but we will always stay together," he rubbed her back to comfort her and kissed her forehead gently.

"What's taking so long," Brooke shouted, "You two better not be doing any fooling around back there." "Oops, sorry. Guess we got a little carried away," Haley smiled and smoothed down her hair as she and Lucas entered the living room with their hands linked between them. She glanced up at Lucas before looking at their group of friends again. Brooke's mouth fell open and her eyes narrowed, "Lucas, get you hand off my woman, she's mine!" Lucas laughed and held Haley close to him, "No, I had her first. She was mine long before she was yours." "Lucas, let go of her," Peyton pretended to be mad as she tried to pull Haley away from him, "do you want to be girlfriend-less?" "Uh oh, raging jealous girlfriends," Nathan chuckled, "this could get ugly." "See? This is why I don't date," Jake laughed, "I am perfectly content with my girl right here." He bounced Jenny in his arms and she giggled.

"Aw Brookie, don't be mad. You know you're the only one for me," Haley smiled as she kissed her lips then fingered the locket around Brooke's neck. "Good, because I'm not ever letting you go," Brooke replied as she wrapped her arms around Haley in a tight embrace. "Brooke, need to breathe here," Haley replied as she tried to take in air. "Sorry," Brooke blushed sheepishly as she finally pulled away. "Okay, now that the cat fight's over, let's talk about something more important," Lucas responded as he gestured for everyone to sit on the various couches and chairs in the living room. At his friends' confused faces, he elaborated, "What is everyone doing for New Years?" "I don't know, I hadn't made any plans," Nathan replied. "I was just going to stay home with Jenny," Jake answered. Brooke shrugged, "I really hadn't made any plans either." "What? Brooke Davis does not have a New Year's party agenda," Peyton laughed.

Brooke shrugged again nonchalantly and rested her head on Haley's shoulder, "I've changed my ways. I haven't been to a party in months. In fact…the last time I went to a party was when Haley and I were both drunk off our asses and made out in someone's bedroom then went to my beach house and made out some more. And the funny thing is, we weren't even together then! Of course, I was too drunk and sick with a hangover the next morning to remember this but when Haley and I actually got together, I finally remembered when we kissed," Brooke winked at her girlfriend. "Brooke," Haley exclaimed, lightly hitting her arm, then lowered her voice to a normal tone, "some things never change…like your big mouth. Plus, don't forget about the other bad habit you need to change. Remember your New Year's resolution?" "Hey, I've still got six more days and until midnight on the 31st to have my fun," Brooke laughed. Their friends gave them confused looks and Haley explained, "I made it one of her New Year's resolutions that she stop drinking. But we all know my Brookie; she can drink with the best of them. I bet she could give Taylor a run for her money." "That's for sure," Lucas responded with a laugh.

"Why don't we all get together on New Year's and go do something. We can go to the movies or whatever and later on we can go to a bar or somewhere," Peyton suggested. "I think that's a great idea, P. Sawyer," Brooke cheered. "They check IDs at bars, you know," Haley responded. "Peyton, do you still have your Polaroid camera," Brooke asked. "Yeah," Peyton grinned as she went and grabbed it from a cabinet, knowing what Brooke was going to do. "Why do you need a camera, Brooke," Haley inquired. "You'll see," Brooke smiled as she lifted the camera to her face, "Say cheese!" Haley gasped in shock then took the picture from the camera, "Brooke, that is a horrible picture!" Brooke laughed as she gazed at the picture then took it from Haley, "Oh, I'm definitely going to use this one." "No you're not! Give it back," Haley exclaimed as she chased after her girlfriend. Peyton quickly gathered up Maddie and set her on her lap out of harm's way. "Nope," Brooke chuckled. "Alright, alright, enough horseplay. You do that enough at home, do you have to do it here?" "Peyton's right, we should stop," Haley responded as she slowed down and turned to go sit on the couch. Brooke followed suit and just as Brooke was about to sit down, Haley snatched the photo from her. "Hey," Brooke shrieked. Haley only stuck out her tongue at her and smiled.

"Okay, let's iron out some plans for what we want to do," Lucas instructed. "Movies sound fun," Haley suggested, "Maybe we could all meet up here or our apartment and watch movies for a couple hours." "After that, we can hit some bars," Brooke replied, "we could go to The Blue Room." "That's a good idea," Peyton agreed, "What else?" "We could hit Tankini," Nathan smirked, "their wet t-shirt contests are always fun." "Nathan, remember, you have a girlfriend now," Haley shook her finger at him. "Hey, I can look. I just can't touch. Maybe I could bring Teresa along with us? Would that be okay," he asked. "Yeah, she can come," Peyton responded then turned to Jake, "What about you, Jake? You in?" "I don't know. I'll have to talk to my parents and see if they'll take care of Jenny for the night," he responded, "but if they will, I'm there." "Great! Okay, we'll think of some other places to go and organize everything then we'll give everyone a call and give you a schedule of when and where we're going," Peyton replied. "Look at you, going all Miss Party Planner on me," Brooke chuckled in response.

"What are you going to do with Maddie while you're out? Is she potty-trained," Haley asked as she patted the pup's head and stroked her soft fur. "I totally forgot about that! Yeah, she's potty-trained. Luke, what are we going to do with her while we're gone? I don't want to leave her all alone in this big house while she's still getting acquainted with her surroundings," Peyton pouted as she looked down at the puppy in her lap and rubbed the pup's chin gently. "She can stay at my mom's," Lucas suggested then laughed, "I almost couldn't give Maddie to you because I could barely pry Mom's hands off of her. She adores her." Peyton wrapped her arms protectively around her puppy, "No! She can't have her, she's mine! Mine all mine!" The group laughed as they began to disperse, all promising to meet up with each other for New Year's. Haley and Brooke were the first to get up from the couch and Brooke grabbed her hand and pulled Haley after her, "Bye guys, we'll see you later. Haley and I have some business to get back to," she chuckled and winked at them before they exited the house.

New Year's Eve finally came around and everyone was curled up on various pieces of furniture at Peyton's house watching movies before they went out to eat and started their night of partying. "Okay, we have our snacks," Peyton said as she along with Haley brought in three big bowls of popcorn for everyone and set them on the coffee table with the other bowls of various junk food, "We have popcorn, trail mix, twizzlers, cookies, and ice cream in the freezer. Now, what movies should we watch?" Haley and Brooke looked at each other and smiled before calling out, "Bring It On Again!" Peyton groaned, "You guys watch that all the time, practically every night. Let's watch something else." "The Notebook," Haley suggested with a raised eyebrow. "Hell no," Nathan responded, "I don't want to watch some chick flick." "Aww, Nate, but I love the Notebook," Haley pouted, sticking out her bottom lip. "Don't give me that," he looked sternly at her. "I love that movie, I want to watch it," Teresa spoke up. "It's a great movie Nate, I think you'll like it," Peyton replied. "Fine, put the damn thing on," Nathan crossed his arms and grumbled, "Why aren't you guys on my side?" "We know better," Lucas smiled cheekily "you don't mess with these girls, especially when it comes to The Notebook. Sometimes you just have to grin and bear it, Nate." Nathan grumbled something in response as Haley popped up from the couch to put the movie in.

All the girls were in tears once the movie was over and a box of tissues was passed around while Nathan and Lucas tried to console their girlfriends and Jake tried to console both Haley and Brooke. "I-I love t-that movie s-so much," Haley blubbered, wiping her eyes with a Kleenex. "Me too," the other girls nodded in agreement. "I don't see what the big deal is," Nathan shrugged. "Uh oh," Lucas muttered under his breath, "Just back off, Nate. Admit you were wrong and back off." All of the girls turned to him with glaring, narrowed eyes and cross expressions on their faces. "It's a classic love story! How can you not get it," Brooke asked incredulously. "Whatever," he responded, "let's just watch another movie. Put in an action or a horror movie." "Who says you get to choose," Peyton crossed her arms over her chest. "Because we're not going to sit through another one of your chick flicks. You got to watch your movie, so let us watch one we want to watch," Nathan replied. "Fine, it better not be too scary or too gory," Peyton said as she stroked the Maddie's head, whom was resting in her lap, "We don't want to traumatize Mads." Nathan rolled his eyes, "What is that, like seven nicknames for her now?" "Nope, only five," Peyton grinned, "Mads, Maddie, Baby, Cutie Pie, and her full name, Madison, but we don't really call her that unless she's done something bad, which is hardly ever." At the mention of her name, Maddie raised her head and looked up at Peyton expectantly. "Go back to sleep, baby," she replied as she rubbed her head and stroked her tummy. The puppy squirmed around a bit before finally settling back down in Peyton's lap and closing her eyes.

By the time the third movie was over, all but Lucas and Nathan were asleep. Teresa rested against Nathan's chest and Peyton had her head on Luke's shoulder while Jake was sprawled out in an oversized armchair. Brooke was laying back in a recliner with Haley on top of her, Haley's back to Brooke's chest, with Brooke's hands laced through Haley's around her waist. Maddie laid by Peyton's side, stretching the length of her small body along Peyton's thigh, her feet slightly twitching every now and then and making little noises as she dreamed. "Should we wake them," Nathan asked quietly. "Nah, let the girls sleep. They'll be cranky if we wake them up. You know how they need their beauty sleep. Besides, we'll want them awake when the ball drops," Lucas chuckled softly. "Why don't we head down to the rivercourt and play some ball for a little bit while they snooze," Nathan suggested. "Yeah, we can do that. We'll take Maddie along with us. She needs to get out for a little while. She's been cooped up in the house all morning," Lucas responded. "Should we wake Jake," Nathan asked. "Nah, let him sleep. I'm sure he's exhausted with Jenny keeping him up nights," he replied as he picked up the sleeping puppy, "Come on Mads, you want to go for a walk?" She quickly perked up and wriggled in his arms. He laughed as he hooked on her leash and soon the two brothers were out the door.

As Lucas and Nathan played basketball, Maddie laid on the bench of the picnic table, enjoying the warm afternoon sunshine despite the snow still covering the ground. A few minutes later, Lucas' cell phone rang. "Hold up," Lucas responded as he tossed the ball to Nathan and jogged over to the table to pick up his phone. As soon as he put it to his ear, Peyton's frantic voice came over the line, "Luke, I can't find Maddie! I don't know where she is. Is she with you? She was laying right by me!" "Calm down, Peyt. Maddie's with me and Nathan at the rivercourt. I thought it would be good to get her outside for awhile since she's been cooped up in the house," Lucas replied, patting the pup's head. "Thank god, I was so worried," Peyton replied with a sigh of relief, "Well, the girls and I-" There was a noise in the background and she laughed, "And Jake too. We're getting hungry. Why don't you guys head back here and we can drop off Maddie at your mom's on the way to eat? Then we can go to the Blue Room and play pool for awhile." "Alright, we'll be back in a little bit," Lucas responded as he said his goodbyes to his girlfriend.

Karen rushed to the door and flung it open at the sound of the doorbell, immediately reaching out for the puppy in Peyton's arms, "Maddie! Come here, cutie pie! I missed you!" Peyton turned her body slightly, shielding Maddie from Karen's grasp. "Hello to you too, Mom. How are you, son? I'm doing great, thanks," Lucas responded sarcastically with a roll of his eyes. Karen laughed at Lucas' words, "Sorry honey. I'm just excited to have Maddie for the night! I've missed her so much! Can I please hold her?" Karen begged as she reached out for the puppy again. Peyton reluctantly relinquished her hold on Maddie and set her in Karen's waiting arms, "Take good care of her; she's my baby." "I will," Karen responded as she stroked the pup's fur and scratched her chin. "You know Mom, Maddie had a couple of siblings left at the humane society. You could always get a little Maddie of your own," Lucas suggested. "Nah, Maddie girl here is one of a kind. There's no other dog like her. Besides, I have enough with you as it is. At least you're potty-trained," Karen smirked, "I don't want to have to deal with a dog peeing all over my house." "Hey," Lucas remarked in protest. "Go on, you go have fun with your friends, but please be careful. I know you guys are going to be drinking so call a cab or have a designated driver, or you can call me. Just-just please be careful. It's going to be crazy out there tonight," Karen responded as she stroked her son's cheek. "We will, Mom. I promise," Lucas hugged her and Peyton patted Maddie's head before they walked back to the car where everyone else was waiting for them.

Once they arrived at the Blue Room and had a few drinks in them, Brooke made a proposition, "What do you say guys, how about we play some pool?" "We're in, but how's this going to work? We have an odd number of people," Nathan responded. "We can do it with teams, boys against girls, couples style," Brooke replied as she went to grab some cue sticks. "But that still leaves Jake out and it still leaves us guys uneven because, newsflash, your partner is a girl therefore she is on your team," Lucas answered with a chuckle. "Haley and I can take on Jake together since Hales here is a spazz and can't get a stupid ball into a pocket. We can rotate in and out each turn. Wait, Jake, are you any good at pool?" "Hey! I am good at pool," Haley remarked with a light slap to her shoulder. "Whatever you say, sweetie," Brooke batted her eyelashes at her. Jake laughed at their bantering then nodded with a grim frown, "Unfortunately yes. This is where I first met Nikki, and many times after that. We played pool for hours every time we came here." "Aww, I'm sorry Jake. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories for you," Brooke responded hesitantly, remorse in her eyes. "Don't worry about it. Let's just play some pool. You girls are going down," Jake replied with a devilish smile as he took a cue stick from her and began to line up the balls in the middle with the triangular rack.

Half an hour later, the girls were down by three points with five of their balls left on the table and only two balls from the guys' team left. It was the girls' turn to shoot and Brooke chose her girlfriend as the person next up. "Are you sure you want to let Spazzy Haley play next turn, Brooke," Nathan smirked, "We all know that next turn we get, we're going to sink our last two." "I pick Haley," she confirmed with a nod and a smirk of her own forming on her lips, "I bet you that we're going to win." "Nah, no chance in hell. You've got five left and Haley's missed almost every shot she's made," Nathan dismissed it with a wave of his hand. "Are you willing to bet your balls on it?" She raised an eyebrow and grinned at them. Nathan considered this for a few moments then nodded his head and moved out of the way and gestured Haley to take her position to shoot. "Be my guest Hales. You'll never make five balls in anyway," he tried to rile her. She smiled at him then lined up her cue stick and just as she made the shot, Nathan yelled, "Haley, look!" This caused her shot to be off the mark and she missed the ball. "Dammit Nathan," she screamed, hitting him in the chest. "Oops," he gave her a devilish smirk.

_'Two can play at that game,' _Brooke said to herself as Nathan got into position to shoot. As Nathan was about to play, Brooke pretended to lose some of her balance and dropped her cue stick. She bent down to retrieve it but as she stood back up, she ran her hand along the inside of his leg, stopping mid-thigh then removing her hand. Nathan sucked in a deep breath as she did this, catching him off guard and causing him to knock one of the balls off of the pool table. "Jesus Christ Brooke, what are you doing?" "Isn't it obvious," she smirked. "I know I'm irresistible and all, but I have a girlfriend Brooke, and she's standing right there!" Brooke turned to Nathan's girlfriend, "Teresa, I'm sorry but I just had to-" She held up her hand and smiled then turned to Nathan with a laugh, "All's fair in love and war, baby." "Teresa!" He gawked at her, not thinking she would react that way. "Yay! The move's good! Our turn again! Hales, go for it baby!" "Here we go again," Lucas rolled his eyes. "Watch and learn boys," Haley grinned as she bent over and made her shot, sinking two balls at once. The three boys gaped at her in astonishment along with Peyton and Teresa as well. "How in the hell..." Nathan started but was left speechless when she sank another two balls in then sunk the last ball in with a satisfied smirk on her face, placing her cue stick at her side. The girls all cheered as they circled around and hugged her, jumping with joy.

"What the..." Jake responded with wide eyes, obviously having trouble with his speech as well. "How in the hell did you do that," Nathan exclaimed, "You've barely sunk one ball in all night and now you sink in five balls like it was nothing? I don't get it!" "Nate, you do realize that my girlfriend is the reigning pool champion of this here establishment, right? I had to pick up some tips from her," Haley smiled and winked at him as she wrapped her arm around Brooke's waist. "No girlfriend of mine can't not know how to play pool," Brooke chuckled as she curled an arm around Haley's shoulders and kissed her on the cheek. "You didn't play fair," Nathan pouted, "you're supposed to play your best and you took the fall out by letting us think Haley couldn't play." "Hey, we played our best and if the best was making you think that Hales here couldn't shoot a ball into a pocket then we brought our A-game," Brooke responded. "You still didn't play fair," he mumbled, still pouting. "Aww, poor Nate. Will it make you feel better if we take you to Tankini," Brooke asked, patting him on the back for comfort. "Yes," he replied with a small smile forming on his lips. "Okay, let's go," Brooke responded as she tossed the keys to Jake, "You drive." Jake was their designated driver for the night, choosing not to drink because of Jenny and also because his friends usually got a little crazy when alcohol was involved.

When they arrived at Tankini, they all began to dance as a group before dispersing into their own couples while Jake opted to sit at their table so no one else would take it. Not twenty minutes later, there came a call over the PA system for any girls who wanted to dance on the bar to come up to the front. One girl already standing on the bar called out and pointed to Brooke, gesturing for her to come dance, "What do you say Destiny? How about one for old times' sake? We haven't seen you here in a while. Come show these guys what you got!" "Destiny?" Haley asked as she and the rest of the group turned to look at her with confused expressions on their faces. Brooke grinned as she showed them her fake ID. Destiny James, it read. "Come on Hales, come dance on the bar with me," Brooke smiled as she grabbed her hand. "On the bar? No way. Nope, not doing it," Haley shook her head as she tried to pull her hand away from Brooke's grasp. "Pwease," Brooke pouted with her lower lip sticking out, her puppy dog expression in full effect on her face, "besides, it's only another hour or two before it's the New Year. You and I can go out with a bang. Please come dance with me?" "Fine," Haley sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes as she followed after her girlfriend.

"Where is Haley going? I was going to ask her for a dance," Nathan asked as he and Teresa walked up to Peyton and Lucas. Peyton let out a slight laugh and so did Lucas as he responded, "She's got a date with Destiny. They're going to go dance on the bar." "Oooh, that sounds like fun! Come on Peyton, let's go dance with them," Teresa exclaimed as she pulled Peyton after her despite the blonde's protests. Brooke, Haley, Peyton, and Teresa danced on the bar along with some other girls from the crowd before another announcement came over the PA system, "Okay guys and girls! Next up for your entertainment as per tradition here at Tankini is our famous…wet t-shirt contest!" Hoots, hollers, and cheers were heard throughout the bar and even some from the girls. "Oh god, Teresa's up there," Nathan groaned. "Oh no," Lucas moaned, mimicking his brother's sentiments. As soon as the announcement had been made, buckets of water were thrown onto the girls dancing on the bar.

"Thank god they're wearing bras," Lucas responded. "Brooke isn't," Nathan replied, "Stop staring dude. You have a girlfriend." "You stop staring. You do too," Lucas answered, his eyes never leaving the girls on the bar. "I say you both stop staring and let me watch because you two will be in big trouble with your women if you don't and let me have my fun because I'm single and available," Jake grinned as he came up between the two brothers and wrapped his arms around their shoulders. Both Nathan and Luke each covered one of Jake's eyes. "If we can't look, then you can't look either," Lucas responded. "Come on guys, just let me look," Jake groaned. "No," Nathan replied, "we can't have you running off with some girl when we need you as our designated driver." "I won't," Jake responded with a grin, "but it doesn't mean I can't have a little fun while I'm sober."

Once the wet t-shirt contest was over, to which Brooke or "Destiny" was victorious of course, for obvious reasons, she and Haley got down from the bar and started walking back to the bathroom so they could dry their shirts. "Brooke, you knew they were going to pour water on us, didn't you," Haley scolded her, not liking the fact that she had just been ogled by complete strangers and even her friends had seen her. "Maybe…" Brooke replied as the corner of her mouth inched up in a smile. "You know I don't like to…expose…myself in front of other people and the guys were even watching us," Haley groaned as she buried her face in her hands, "God, I'm so embarrassed." "I know," Brooke chuckled and gently pinched her cheek, "that's why you save your little strip teases for me and only me." "Brooke," Haley gaped in shock then lightly hit her arm. "What," she looked at her nonchalantly. "Why did you make me go up there when you knew they were going to pour water on us and you know how I feel about my body," Haley asked her. "You have a very hot body," Brooke responded seductively as she whispered in her ear and a smirk formed on her lips, "and maybe I wanted to get you all wet." Brooke leaned in and placed a slow, tantalizing kiss on her lips before pulling away, sliding her tongue across her own lips, tasting Haley's strawberry lip gloss on them. Haley stood there for a moment, her eyes closed, savoring the feelings Brooke instilled in her when she kissed her like that. Finally, she opened her eyes and stared into Brooke's own brown ones for a few intense seconds before she lunged forward and placed both hands on the sides of Brooke's face, pressing her lips hard to hers.

It was almost all Brooke could do to get them to the bathroom, albeit somewhat blindly, and she quickly shut the door and locked it so there would be no other interruptions. At this, Haley broke away from their intense kiss, breathing heavily, "Brooke, we can't just lock the door like that. Somebody might need to use the bathroom." "There's another one on the other side of the building. Now shut up and kiss me," Brooke murmured huskily. Haley happily obliged and soon Brooke cradled her butt in her hands, lifting her onto the counter by the sinks. Brooke began a trail of kisses down her neck and Haley moaned in response as she ran her hands up and down Brooke's back, opening her legs and pulling Brooke as close as she could get, needing her touch. "I want you so bad," Brooke murmured into her neck as she moved down and gently nipped the sensitive spot near her collarbone. Haley shivered at this little act, the feelings Brooke was causing in her were racing throughout her body, making her a little light-headed as if her head was in the clouds. Brooke repeated the action, only this time on the other side, and Haley moaned in pleasure as she moved her hands to the front and slipped them under Brooke's shirt, caressing her stomach and sides of her body.

Brooke snaked her hands beneath Haley's blouse, running them up and down along her back in soothing strokes before moving them to softly caress her breasts through the lacy material of her bra. Haley moaned softly again and her fingers traveled up Brooke's body, finding the two unrestricted supple mounds of flesh she sought. "You're not wearing a bra. Why should I be surprised..." Haley smiled and shook her head slightly as she sighed, "No wonder you won the wet t-shirt contest." "Easier access," Brooke smirked then her expression turned to one of concern, "You're not mad, are you? I know how you hate me being a tease to the guys-" Haley cut her off with a kiss, mumbling against her lips, "I've come to accept the fact that you're a flirt. You can't help it; it's part of your personality. Just as long as you don't bring any of those guys home." "I won't," Brooke promised, "You know I only have eyes for you, baby. I'm not ever letting you go and I would never jeopardize our relationship like that. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything bad happened in our relationship because of anything I did. I love you, Hales, and we-we have something really great going here." Brooke took her left hand and ran her finger over Haley's promise ring that she had given her for Christmas before entwining their fingers and looking up at her girlfriend with a small smile on her face.

By now, tears were falling down Haley's cheeks as she gazed into Brooke's brown eyes for a few moments before she captured her lips in a fierce, passionate kiss and hugged her tight to her body. "I love you so much," Haley whispered as she peppered light kisses all over her lips. Brooke cupped Haley's breasts in her hands, softly massaging them a few seconds before she wrapped her arms around Haley's back and quickly unhooked her bra, yearning to feel her flesh against hers. Brooke sighed happily in satisfaction as she ran her fingers over Haley's breasts and slowly rubbed one nipple with her thumb. Haley whimpered in pleasure as she dug her nails into Brooke's back, causing Brooke to press harder and she moaned through her ministrations on Haley's neck. "Brooke...please..." Haley murmured, her breaths becoming slow and labored. Brooke knew what she was asking and wasted no time in pulling off Haley's shirt, taking her bra along with it.

At this point, Haley didn't care that they were in a public bathroom with hundreds of people just outside the door. The only thing she was concerned with at that moment was that she was alone with her girlfriend and she relished in the feelings Brooke was stirring up in the pit of her stomach. With Haley's upper torso free of all barriers, Brooke slowly lowered her head and took one into her mouth while she performed the same treatment with her thumb on her other breast. "Oh god," Haley gasped in pleasure as she gripped onto Brooke's waist to keep herself steady before she melted completely. Haley inhaled a sharp, quick breath of surprise then let it out with groan as she felt Brooke begin to lightly stroke her through her panties under her skirt, "Brooke..." "What baby," Brooke murmured as she switched to her other breast, slowly licking her nipple before sheltering it with her mouth. "Now..." Haley whispered as she closed her eyes, "I need you now..." Haley didn't know how she managed it, but Brooke lifted Haley up and tugged on her skirt, sliding it down and off her legs. Haley gasped as Brooke pressed her against the cool tiles of the wall and she arched her back, pressing tighter into Brooke, causing the brunette to let out a soft groan.

"Brooke, now…I can't wait much longer…" Haley whimpered in pleasure as she leaned her head down and kissed the top of Brooke's head. In response to this, Brooke nipped at her collarbone before pulling Haley's panties down and off her legs, leaving Haley in only her heels. Brooke's eyes devoured her as she gazed over her girlfriend's body then attacked her lips with a passionate kiss as she thrust one finger inside Haley. Haley moaned into the kiss as she wrapped her legs around Brooke's waist to keep herself steady. Haley gripped Brooke's shoulders as she lightly circled her finger around her clit then slowly rubbed it, putting pressure on it. Haley's breaths became shallow and more frequent, letting out soft groans into Brooke's neck. "More," she managed to mumble through her short little gasps of breath. Brooke complied with her request and inserted another finger, moaning as she felt Haley's inner muscles start to clench around her fingers. She was almost there. "Brooke, I'm-" Haley muttered breathlessly but Brooke stopped her with a kiss. "I know baby, I know," she responded as she peppered little kisses all over her face. It was another minute or two before the telltale signs of Haley's impending release showed themselves as her little noises and whimpers became incessant, reverberating from deep in her throat, and she slowed the fast-paced movements of her body to a slow up and down slide against the tiles of the wall. With the last few thrusts of Brooke's fingers inside her, she pushed Haley over the brink of insanity and her body shuddered with the intensity of her orgasm, falling limp in Brooke's arms.

"T-That was…amazing…" Haley heaved with a contented sigh a few minutes later after she recovered her breath. "Yeah," Brooke replied, placing tiny little kisses along the crown of her forehead then chuckled lightly, "I finally got you to have sex in a public place. Granted, it's not the janitor's closet at school like I wanted, but this pretty much takes the cake." Haley giggled into her shoulder as she wrapped her arms around Brooke's neck and rested her head against her chest. They stood there for a few moments in each other's embrace before Brooke slowly let her down and Haley stood on shaky legs. Haley nearly collapsed once her feet hit the ground but Brooke held her up. "I think I need to sit down," Haley said quietly. Brooke spread the two towels they had been given to dry off on the floor and carefully lowered Haley onto them with a concerned expression on her face, "Are you okay?" "Yeah, I'll be fine. It was just…intense. I just need to rest a couple minutes," Haley replied as she pressed a hand to her forehead, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. Brooke sat down beside Haley and held her close as she stroked her hair and rubbed her hand up and down Haley's back.

Haley rested her head on Brooke's shoulder for a while as Brooke held her tight and about ten minutes later, Haley kissed the inside of her neck, causing a shiver to jolt down Brooke's spine. She began a trail of kisses down the column of her neck, pausing momentarily to pull Brooke's shirt over her head before she advanced to her chest and nibbled gently on Brooke's nipple. Brooke moaned in yearning as she thrust her chest out, pressing it flush against Haley's mouth. She sighed in satisfaction and groaned with pleasure as Haley engulfed the pebbled peak and began to suckle it fiercely, knowing that this aroused Brooke more than anything else. "God…Hales…" Brooke moaned, gasping at the intensity. She was leaning back on her hands and soon they became weak and shaky, giving out seconds later as she fell back onto the floor. Haley went down right along with her, her lips still attached to her breast, and she placed her hand behind Brooke's head, sheltering it from hitting the hard floor. Haley left her breast a few seconds later and continued her trail down Brooke's body, circling her navel and going further down until she reached the top of her skirt. She smiled devilishly as a thought came to her and she took the zipper of her skirt between her teeth and slowly pulled it down…

"Hey, have you guys seen Haley and Brooke," Peyton asked after returning from drying off in one of the bathrooms. "No, not since they were on the bar," Nathan responded. "I thought I saw them head towards the bathrooms afterwards. They're probably still drying their clothes. You know Brooke," Jake replied as he walked up to them. "We just came from the bathroom and they weren't in there," Teresa answered. "Maybe they're in one of the other ones. This place has like seven bathrooms, geez," Peyton remarked as she grabbed the other girl's hand, "Teresa and I will go look for them and you guys keep an eye out too." The girls searched bathroom after bathroom for the next twenty minutes but came up empty-handed. They only had two more to search and Peyton was getting worried. Where had they run off to?

When they reached the second to last bathroom, they tried to open the door but found it suspiciously locked, "Hmm, that's strange." Teresa leaned over and pressed her ear to the door, trying to hear what was going on inside. "Teresa, what are you doing," Peyton shrieked. "What do you think I'm doing," she responded with a raised eyebrow and a smirk on her face, "I'm eavesdropping." "Can you hear anything," Peyton inquired as she too placed her ear against the door. "It's hard to hear because of the loud music. All I really hear is muffled voices. Probably some people talking in there, or getting stoned," Teresa laughed. A few moments later, as the song changed from an upbeat pop song to a slow tune, the two girls heard a muffled moan from inside the bathroom, "Hales…" Teresa's and Peyton's eyes widened in shock as they turned to stare at each other for a few seconds then stifled their giggles as they rushed away from the door. "Oh god, I can't believe I just heard my two best friends having sex. I need to go wash out my ears now," Peyton replied with her face scrunched up. "Better go use one of the other bathrooms," Teresa chuckled, "Hey, it could be worse. You didn't walk in on them while they were having sex." Peyton's eyes widened again, "You did?" "No, Nathan did. Only, they weren't having sex. They were making out…topless," Teresa laughed. "Oh I bet Nathan loooved that," Peyton smirked then asked with a serious face, "That doesn't bother you, him checking out other girls, seeing them naked and everything?" Teresa shrugged, "Guys will be guys. I know Nathan's a flirt and I can't change that so I've accepted it. Besides, Haley and Brooke are his best friends and he would never do anything with them. Plus, he saw them going at it before we were even dating, so I don't really have a right to be jealous about that, do I?" "No, I guess not," Peyton smiled.

Fifteen minutes later, Brooke and Haley reappeared within the group, their hair slightly tussled and their clothes a little wrinkled. "Hey you two, where have you been," Teresa smiled, "you missed out on all the fun. The boys got up on the bar and did a striptease." "Teresa," Nathan exclaimed loudly. "Damn, I would have paid good money to see that," Brooke snapped her fingers and pouted. "Don't waste your dollars, they weren't that good," Teresa flipped her hand nonchalantly. Nathan pointed a finger at her, "I'll have you know-" He was interrupted by Peyton, "So where did you two run off to? We haven't seen you since the contest was over." "We were really wet, drenched, and you know Haley, she lectured about getting sick and catching colds if we went outside with wet shirts in the middle of winter so we went to the bathroom and dried our shirts off under the dryers. It took a long time because we were really wet," Brooke babbled as a light pink tint rose to her cheeks. "Haley, where's your bra," Peyton asked her with a smirk planted firmly on her lips. Haley's eyes widened in shock as she looked down at her chest and her cheeks turned a dark crimson. Everyone burst out laughing.

Haley quickly ran back to the bathroom they had used and searched frantically for the piece of clothing but it couldn't be found. She raced back to the group with wide eyes and turned to Brooke, "It's not there! Somebody stole my bra from the bathroom! My bra! Why would somebody want to steal my bra? I can't believe-" she stuttered in shock. "Oh Hales, do you mean this bra," Brooke asked coyly with a smirk on her face, holding up her bra by the strap with her index finger. "Yes, that bra," Haley hissed, snatching it from her and stuffing it in her pocket. "Woops," Brooke feigned innocence. "You're incorrigible," Haley scolded good-naturedly. "You're sexy when you're mad," Brooke gave her a seductive smile, sticking her tongue out playfully. Haley scrunched up her face in mock anger as she held up her hand, spacing her index and thumb fingers about an inch apart. Brooke copied her actions and Haley just glared at her.

Brooke felt a buzzing in her pocket and quickly pulled out her phone, plugging one ear as she brought the phone to her other ear, "Hello?" "Brooke, hey. It's Bevin," the girl's voice came over the line, but it was almost drowned out by the loud music in the background. "Oh hey, what's up," Brooke asked as she moved to a more secluded corner of the room so she could hear better. "I am having like this awesome party at my house and I decided that I needed my bestest cheer bud to come party with me and toast to a new year of cheer bitchin'. So, will you come? Please, please please," Bevin begged. "Of course I'll come! Let me just grab Haley and the rest of the group-" "No! Just-Just you, Brooke. Nobody else," Bevin interrupted quickly. Brooke's face scrunched in confusion, "Why? Can't Haley and the others come?" "Just you come. Please Brooke," Bevin asked, her voice sounding a little desperate which caused Brooke's forehead to wrinkle in concern. "Okay, I'll come. I'll be there in about thirty minutes okay," she replied. "Thanks Brooke," Bevin responded as they said their goodbyes and hung up.

Brooke returned to the group and Haley asked, "Who was that?" "It was Bevin. She's having a party-" she started to say but was interrupted by Nathan. "Party? Hell yeah, let's go!" "But she wants me to come alone," Brooke finished. "Why," Haley asked, confused, then smiled jokingly, "you don't have a secret rendezvous with her, do you?" "No, I would never have a girl on the side, boy on the side maybe, but no. Dating one girl is emotional and hormonal enough, I couldn't deal with two hormonal crazy girls," she grinned at her girlfriend then her face changed back to her concerned expression, "No, Bevin just sounded really strange on the phone. I mean, usually she's all for everyone coming to her parties, but tonight she just sounded strange on the phone, stranger than her normal Bevin strange. So I'm going to go over there for a little bit and hang with her, find out what's going on and stuff then I will meet back up with you guys and we can continue our fabulous night of bar-hopping." "Do you want me to drive you," Jake asked, "You've been drinking tonight, you shouldn't be driving." "Nah, I'm going to walk. Bevin's house isn't that far from here. Why don't you guys finish up here and go on to the next stop and I'll meet up with you all once I'm done at Bevin's," Brooke suggested. "Alright sweetie, be careful," Haley responded as she stood on her tiptoes and gave Brooke a gentle kiss on the lips. "I will," Brooke replied as she returned the kiss, "See you later. Bye guys."

Once Brooke reached Bevin's block, her brows furrowed in confusion. She found it quite strange that the street was not lined with cars parked against the curb and there were no people out dancing or drinking on Bevin's front lawn despite the loud music that could be heard from the house. Brooke knocked loudly on the door and rang the bell so Bevin might hear her. A few minutes later, Bevin flung open the door and greeted her with a smile and a tight hug, "Brooke! Thank you! I'm so glad you came!" "No problem Bev," she answered as she followed her friend inside and looked around, finding no one but herself and Bevin as the only occupants, "Where is everyone? I thought this was supposed to be a party?" Bevin's big smile turned into a frown as she looked down at her hands and scratched her arm nervously, "I um… I kind of asked you here under false pre-pre…" "Pretenses," Brooke suggested. "Pretenses, yeah, right. I wasn't really having a party. I just really needed to talk to you and I wasn't sure if you'd come otherwise. I'm sorry. You're not mad, are you?" "No, I'm not mad; of course I'd come. You're one of my cheer bitches, remember," Brooke chuckled as she slung an arm around Bevin's shoulders.

Bevin gave her a small smile as she responded, "I just figured that since you were out with everyone else, I had to have a good excuse to get you to come over and a party was the only thing I could think of." "So something really is wrong. I thought you sounded strange on the phone… What's going on Bev," Brooke asked concernedly. Bevin's eyes watered as she looked at her friend then averted her gaze, shaking her hand and gesturing for Brooke to follow her, "Let's drink first." Bevin led her to the living room where she saw two shot glasses sitting on the coffee table alongside two bottles of vodka and scotch. She poured the drinks and handed one to Brooke then raised her glass to a toast, "To hopefully another year of cheer bitching." Brooke raised her eyebrows questioningly, "Hopefully? Bevin, what's going on?" Finally, Bevin broke down into tears and covered her face with her hands, "M-My parents are getting a divorce…" "Oh Bev, I'm so sorry," Brooke wrapped her friend in a tight hug. "They've been fighting about who gets custody of me and my little brother. My mom wants to move out of the state after the divorce and if she gets custody of me, I won't be able to go to school or cheer or graduate with you guys!"

Her sobs increased as she held tighter onto her friend, "I'm going to miss you guys so much!" "Bev, you don't know if you will have to go live with your mother after the divorce. You're almost eighteen. You should get a say in where you want to live." "I want to stay here in Tree Hill with my dad because all my friends are here and I want to finish out school with you guys but my parents have been fighting over this custody thing and they keep arguing about what is in the best interest of the child and all this stuff I don't understand," Bevin wailed, burying her head in her hands. "Bevin, you need to talk to your parents. You need to tell them what you want. If you don't speak up and tell them you want to stay here in Tree Hill then, ultimately, it's up for your parents to decide," Brooke tried to comfort her. "I know, you're right. You're always right. It's just- it's such a confusing time right now…" She looked up at Brooke, her eyes brimming with tears, "Why are my parents getting a divorce? They've been married for twenty-two years and they're going to throw that all away? They used to be happy… What happened to them, Brooke? I don't understand how it got this bad."

"I don't know, sweetie," she rubbed Bevin's back in soothing circles, "you just have to talk to them and hope for the best. Maybe your mom will let you stay with your dad here in Tree Hill until you graduate and maybe move out there where she is afterwards." "But what if she doesn't? What if she wants me to move with her right after the divorce?" "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, okay? And, if worse comes to worst, you could always get emancipated from your parents like Nathan did." "I don't want to do that if at all possible, but if it comes down to that being the only choice then I'll do it." "Everything will work out, you'll see," Brooke hugged her. They were silent for a few minutes and during that time, they heard a soft padding of feet nearing the living room. Bevin's little brother appeared from the dark hallway, clutching a stuffed toy as he sucked on his thumb. "Hey buddy, what are you doing up so late? You should be in bed," Bevin said as she went over and picked him up, placing him on her hip. "I couldn't sleep. I had a bad dream," the five-year-old boy responded. "What about," his sister asked concernedly. "I dreamed that Mommy took me away from you and Daddy and-and I never got to see you again," the little boy sobbed as he buried his face into her chest, "I don't want to go with Mommy. I want to stay with you, Bevie. I want to go where you go. You take good care of me. I don't want to go with Mommy." "I know sweetie," Bevin stroked her brother's head softly as she looked at Brooke with sorrowful eyes. "Bevie, I'm sleepy. Will you come tuck me into bed and read me a story?" "Sure buddy," she responded as she turned to Brooke, "I will be back in a little bit." Brooke nodded and Bevin stood with her brother in her arms and retreated down the hallway.

Bevin returned ten minutes later and sighed as she rested her head on Brooke's shoulder, "I wish this wasn't happening… The divorce has been so hard on him…" "Everything will turn out alright, Bev, you'll see," Brooke wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Thanks for coming over and talking things out with me. I really appreciate it. I know you had plans with Haley and the others tonight," Bevin said as she hugged her friend. "It's no problem. I'm glad you called me," Brooke replied. "Well, I'll let you get back to your New Year's celebration of bar-hopping. I know you want to see Haley so I'll let you go and we'll see each other next week," Bevin asked. "Are you sure," Brooke inquired concernedly, "You're not going to get upset and cry again after I leave will you? I'll stay if you want me to." "No, I'll be fine Brooke," she patted her leg and smiled, "You go see your girlfriend, but have some fun for me too, okay?" "You betcha," Brooke winked as she stood up, "there's going to be a couple of drinks with your name on them." Bevin laughed, "Alright, thanks. I'll see you on Monday at school then." "Depends on how bad the hangover is," Brooke smirked and waved goodbye as she walked out the front door.

Brooke hadn't been at Bevin's that long so she figured the group would still be at Tankini and started to head back to the club. As she walked along the dark, empty streets, Brooke got this eerie feeling that she couldn't shake. She pulled her jacket closer around her body and started to walk faster. Tree Hill was by no means an unsafe place, but it did have its creeps and with a night like tonight, there was no telling what kinds of crazies were out and about. She was nearing the business district where all the stores, restaurants and shops were when fear started to course through every fiber of her being. She heard footsteps behind her. She fought to stay calm and maintain a steady pace so as not to draw attention to herself. Maybe it was just another person heading for the bars. Tears fell down her face as she sped up her pace when she heard the person's footsteps become faster. "Where are you going, girlie," the deep, husky voice said behind her. Brooke started to run. "Come on sweetie, I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to have a little fun," the man let out a satirical laugh. She choked on her sobs as she started to cry for help and ran faster that she ever had in her life. Suddenly, she fell to the ground as excruciating pain flooded through her ankle and up her leg. Damn her for wearing high heels. She furiously tried to scramble away from her fast-approaching assailant. "Don't think you're going anywhere, girlie," the guy said as he grabbed her waist from behind, "you've been playing hard to get for too long. Now it's time to have a little fun."

"No," Brooke screamed as she started to flail her legs at an attempt to kick him but it was to no avail because the way he was holding her prevented her from landing a sufficient blow, not to mention her injured foot was throbbing. He covered her mouth to quiet her screams but he yelled out in surprise when she bit his hand. "You bitch!" He slapped her face, "You're going to pay for that honey." "Help," Brooke screamed, "Somebody please-" The guy hit her face again, this time connecting with her jaw. Brooke cried out in agony as she brought a hand up to her cheek. "You like it rough, don't you," he whispered in her ear, his hot breath hitting her neck. He reeked of alcohol and cigarette smoke. Brooke whimpered as she shook her head, barely unable to form coherent words because her jaw had already begun to swell. "Now I've been patient long enough. It's time to have a little fun," the man grinned in anticipation. This one was feisty but oh what a catch she'd be. He'd tame her wild spirit.

He started to pull her towards an alley between two buildings as Brooke struggled to get away but he was too strong for her. There were no lights on and it was pitch black in the narrow pathway. _'Perfect,' _the guy thought with a smile. Brooke finally succeeded in kicking him, landing a swift hit to the groin, and the guy hunched over in pain, causing his grip around her waist to loosen. She tried to get away but he pulled her back and threw her on the ground. "That's it, no more Mr. Nice Guy," he growled. With her eyes still shut, Brooke placed a hand at the back of her head, rubbing the spot where it had made contact with the ground. When she pulled her hand away, blood covered her fingers. She gasped as she turned on her side, curling up into a ball as her attacker came closer. Her eyelids felt so heavy. "Take off your clothes," he demanded. "No," Brooke cried out weakly, "please…" He punched her in the stomach, "I said take off your clothes," he growled again. "No," Brooke mumbled, fast feeling a black cloak descend over her. "Fine, I'll just do it myself," he grinned, "all the more fun."

His hand slid up her thigh then moved to the inside of her leg, inching just past the hem of her skirt. She squirmed under his touch. "You're such a pretty little thing," he smiled as he removed his hand and began to fiddle with the button of her skirt. She tried to push his hands away but he grabbed both her arms and pinned them above her head. "Lie still and this won't hurt a bit," he grinned as he undid the button and pulled down the zipper then tugged the skirt off her legs. Once he did this, he began to unbuckle his belt and pull his own pants down. "No," Brooke tried to scream through the aching and tenderness of her jaw as he dragged her panties off. "Shut up bitch," he slapped her as he plunged into her, causing Brooke to scream even louder in anguish. "Help," Brooke yelled as loud as she could. "I told you to keep your mouth shut, bitch," the guy growled as he hit her again, this time his fist landing squarely on her forehead. Suddenly, everything went black.

Haley looked at her watch for what seemed like the millionth time. Brooke had been gone for hours and it was nearly 11:30. She had to get home. She and Brooke had made a promise that they would be home in time to watch the ball drop at midnight and would share a kiss together to ring in the new year. They were currently at some new popular club called The Pink Taco, Nathan's choice of course. Haley rolled her eyes. She found Jake at the bar drinking a club soda and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and smiled, "Hey Hales, what's up?" "Can you take me home," Haley said into his ear so he could hear her over the loud music. His expression changed to one of concern, "Why? What's wrong? Are you feeling alright?" "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just that Brooke and I promised each other we would be home in time to ring in the New Year. It's almost 11:30 so I need to get home. Can you drive me?" "Sure," he replied, "but what about the others?" "Let them have their fun," Haley responded as she watched her friends dancing and laughing, "we won't be gone long." Will you bring the car around front while I say goodbye?" Jake nodded as he began to make his way through the crowd towards the entrance of the club. Haley said her farewells and wished everyone a happy New Year, much to their disappointment because they wanted her to stay, but they understood.

Jake dropped her off and Haley made her way up to the apartment. When she unlocked the door and pushed it open, she found the place dark and empty. Brooke wasn't home. Haley dropped her purse and keys onto the table by the door with a sigh. She took off her jacket then pulled her heels off her aching feet. Haley decided to take a shower while waiting for Brooke to come home so she grabbed a towel and washcloth from the hall closet and made her way to the bathroom. She let the warm water run over her head and down her back, trying to wash away the sleepiness starting to take over her body. She had to stay awake for when Brooke got home. Her head was pounding slightly and she made a mental note to take some Tylenol when she got out. She hadn't been drinking that much tonight, but it had been enough to make her a tad bit woozy. Once she was done with her shower, Haley got dressed into her pajamas, which tonight was a long silk lingerie nightgown, then went to the kitchen for a glass of water and the Tylenol. She walked into the living room and curled up on the couch, turning on the television to the New Year's countdown and putting it on mute. Haley glanced at the clock on the end table and had to take another look. Five more minutes until midnight and Brooke still wasn't home yet. Haley frowned with a sigh as she sunk down into the cushions. Tears welled within her eyes. She hoped Brooke would make it home in time for their midnight kiss. She looked at the clock again. 11:57 p.m.

Three minutes passed and Haley watched the ball drop alone. "Happy New Year," Haley whispered to herself. Once it was over, Haley turned off the television and switched off the lights, rendering the apartment in darkness once again as she walked down the hall towards the bedroom. Haley grabbed the cordless phone and dialed the number for Brooke's cell. It rang four times before it went to voicemail, "Hi, you've reached Brooke Davis. Haley and I are out partying the night away so leave me a message and maybe I'll get back to you tomorrow. Depending on how bad the hangover is, I might still be in bed. Bye!" Haley heard Brooke's soft chuckle over the line and tears came to her eyes as she pressed the END button and placed the phone back in its holder. She crawled under the covers and laid her head on her pillow as the tears she'd been holding back finally came loose. She closed her eyes and wished that Brooke was here, wished this night had turned out differently.

Brooke slowly entered the apartment and winced as she took off her shoes. Her feet ached from walking and dancing all night. As she approached the bedroom, she heard the shower running and a small smile spread across her lips. She shed all her clothes and walked over to the bathroom, quietly closing the door behind her. Her smile grew as she carefully opened the glass door and slipped inside, wrapping her arms around Haley's waist and nuzzling her neck from behind, "Hey baby." "Brooke," Haley exclaimed, turning around to face her then she wrapped her arms around her girlfriend's neck and gave her a passionate kiss on the lips as the warm water rained down on them. Brooke began a trail of kisses down her neck and Haley leaned her head to the side to give her better access. "Mmm," Haley whispered in response. Brooke pressed her against the wall and began to devour Haley with her mouth, kissing her everywhere her lips touched Haley's body. "B-Brooke..." Haley moaned as she heard the phone ring from their bedroom.

"Brooke!" Haley sat straight up in bed, covered in sweat, as she heard ringing from the phone on her nightstand. She scrambled to answer it before it hung up, hoping it was Brooke. Finally she reached it and she hastily picked up the phone, asking breathlessly, "Brooke?" "No Haley, it's Toni. Haley, you-you have to come down here...I-It's Brooke... she's been...she's been r-raped," Toni choked on a sob as her whole body shook. "WHAT?!" Haley shrieked, starting to cry herself, "oh my god, I-I'll be down there as soon as I can. Bye Toni." Haley flew out of bed as soon as she hung up the phone and quickly changed into some more decent clothes before she yanked on her shoes then grabbed her purse and keys. She was out the door in less than three minutes.

A surge of adrenaline rushed through Haley's body as she drove to the hospital faster than she had ever before. A million things and more were running through her mind and she was sobbing by the time she reached the hospital. She felt so guilty. She should have made Jake drive her. She should have gone with Brooke to Bevin's house even though Brooke was told to come alone. She should have known better. She shouldn't have let Brooke walk alone on a night like this when all the crazy people were out partying and getting drunk. It was all her fault Brooke was raped. She would never forgive herself for what had happened to her girlfriend.

Haley rushed through the doors of the emergency room and ran up to the front reception desk. "What room is Brooke Davis in? I need to see her. How is she? Where is Toni? I need to talk to Toni," Haley asked frantically. "Just calm down, ma'am-" the older woman tried to soothe the distraught girl in front of her but Haley interrupted. "Do not tell me to calm down! I work here, missy, so you better give me that damn room number and page Toni before I start talking to your supervisor. Got it?" Haley flashed her ID card so she could see. The woman gulped and nodded. "Good," Haley responded, crossing her arms over her chest, "Now what's the room Brooke Davis is in?" "Number 142," the receptionist replied. "Thank you," Haley replied hastily before she hurried off towards Brooke's hospital room.

As she approached, Toni came out of the room, clipping her pager back on her belt. "Toni," Haley screamed as she closed the remaining distance between them with lightning speed and engulfed her in a tight hug, beginning to sob uncontrollably. "Haley," Toni whispered as she softly stroked the younger girl's hair, tears of her own falling down her cheeks. After a few minutes, Haley pulled away, "How-How is she?" "Let's go sit down," Toni gently grabbed her arm and led her over to a nearby set of chairs. Haley knew this couldn't be good. It was always something bad when they had to tell you to sit down. "Tell me Toni. How is she," Haley demanded once they sat down. "She…" Toni began slowly, "she's in pretty bad shape, Haley. The person that did this to her…he hurt her badly… Brooke has a slight concussion and her jaw is swollen up. She also has a sprained ankle, which we wrapped in an ace bandage and she'll need to be on crutches for a few weeks so it can heal. The guy that…r-raped her…he was pretty rough on her. There was a little tearing but we stitched it up and-" "God, there's more," Haley sobbed as she buried her face in her hands. "There was also some scarring…Haley, there's a chance Brooke may never be able to have children because of this…" Toni trailed off softly. "Oh god, how did Brooke take it," Haley asked, biting her bottom lip.

"We haven't told her yet. She's…" Toni tried to find the right words, "she's out of it right now. She's not here mentally. We had to give her some Morphine and Demerol for the pain and she hasn't said a word since she was brought in." "I-I don't know how to tell her, Toni," Haley shakily raked a hand through her hair, "We both want kids someday. This news will shatter her…" "I'll tell her," Toni rubbed her back slowly, "I just thought it might be easier coming from you." "I-I wouldn't know what to say… I wouldn't even know where to begin…" Haley cried as she leaned into the other woman. "Sh…" Toni tried to soothe her, "Everything is going to be okay." "No, it won't," Haley objected, choking on a sob, "Nothing will ever be the same again…"

They sat there for another ten minutes as Toni gently rocked her back and forth in her arms, trying to calm her down. Once Haley had finally stopped crying, Toni softly wiped the tears from her eyes, "Why don't you go in and see Brooke? I'll come in a few minutes later and tell her the news, okay? Try and get Brooke to talk to you. It is a very crucial time for her right now. No pressure. Don't ask questions. Just be there for her," Toni instructed softly as she gave the girl's back one last pat. Haley nodded and sucked in a deep breath as she stood from her chair. Slowly, she made her way towards the door to Brooke's room. Haley turned back to look at Toni and the older woman gave her a small encouraging smile. Turning back to the door, Haley took another deep breath before she cautiously pushed it open.

No matter how horrible and gruesome Toni had described Brooke's injuries, nothing compared to actually seeing them. Haley gasped a sharp intake of air as she took in her girlfriend's appearance. "Oh my god…" Haley whispered to herself as she slowly approached the bed. Brooke's face was turned towards her but it seemed that she hadn't even noticed that Haley was there. "Brooke," Haley said softly as she cautiously lifted a hand and carefully pushed some of the hair away from her face. She gasped again when she saw the purplish swelling of her jaw. "Oh Brooke…" Haley started to cry again as a few tears fell down her cheeks. She pulled a nearby chair to the side of the bed and sat down, gently covering Brooke's hand with one of her own, "I am so sorry sweetie. I should have never-" To Haley's utter disappointment, Brooke pulled her hand away and turned to the other side of the bed. "I love you Brooke. Please talk to me," Haley pleaded with her, reaching out a hand to touch her, but she hesitated, unsure. She heard Brooke mumble something after a few moments, almost inaudible, but she caught the words. "It's not your fault," Brooke said.

There was a soft knock on the door and Toni slowly entered. Haley looked at her with a disheartened expression on her face and she shrugged her shoulders, feeling helpless. "Brooke, it's Toni again. I need to talk with you about something very important," the older woman said carefully. Brooke slowly nodded her head but didn't offer to turn around. "Brooke, I know this is going to be very hard for you to hear, but I have to talk to you about the rape… When we examined you, we found some tearing and scarring…it was caused by the amount of force-" Toni paused for a moment when she heard Brooke choke on a sob, "Brooke, due to the scarring, there is a chance you might never be able to have children." Both Toni and Haley saw Brooke's body begin to shake violently with sobs. "Brooke…" Haley said softly as she started to wrap her arms around her girlfriend but Brooke fiercely pushed her away. Haley began to cry as Brooke started to thrash about and she yelled out to the older woman, "Toni! Help! She's going to hurt herself even more!"

Toni rushed to the cabinets and pulled out one of the drawers, searching for something, of what Haley didn't know but she hoped that whatever it was, it would help her girlfriend calm down. Toni finally found what she was looking for and she rushed over to the two distraught girls. "Help me hold her down," Toni instructed to Haley, "Hold her upper torso. I'm never going to be able to put it in her IV. I have to use her thigh." Haley finally grabbed Brooke and held her down. She knew her girlfriend was afraid of needles so she tried to get Brooke to look away from what was happening. "Brooke, look at me sweetie," Haley requested. Brooke shook her head and craned her head back, letting out a small, distressed scream when she saw the syringe Toni had in her hand. "Brooke, come on sweetie, look into my eyes," Haley pleaded with her. After a few moments, Brooke shut her eyes and finally turned her head back to face Haley, opening her eyes. Tears flowed down her cheeks in waterfalls. Haley stroked the top of her head gently as Toni gave her the shot. Soon afterwards, Brooke's rigid body finally relaxed and she fell limp in Haley's arms. Haley carefully laid her back down and stared at her girlfriend for a few seconds before she turned to Toni, "What did you give her?" "I gave her a sedative. It'll help her sleep. God knows she needs it after all she's been through tonight. Haley looked back at Brooke again as tears filled her eyes and she nodded. "She's going to be out for awhile. Do you want to go get a cup of coffee," Toni asked gently, placing a hand comfortingly on the younger girl's shoulder. Haley shook her head, "Thanks Toni, but I'm not really in the mood for anything. I'm just going to stay with Brooke," Haley replied as she walked back over to her chair beside the bed and sat down, gently taking Brooke's hand into her own. Toni looked sadly on as she quietly made her out of the room.


End file.
